Lanka’s first budget hospital

Colombo will soon see a budget hospital, a concept yet alien to the country’s growing health care sector.

“We plan to introduce a budget hospital with short-term in house facilities to treat patients who do not require long term specialization,” Dr. Lakshman L. Weerasena, chairman-designate of the hospital told The Sunday Times FT.

He said acute asthma conditions, children with diarrhea and vomiting, minor surgical conditions such as abscess, removal of cysts and minor road traffic accidents which need 24 hour supervision will be treated at this hospital.

“Also a home care facility for patients which is an extension of family practice in the old days especially the elderly and the disabled who find it difficult to come to the hospital will be provided at the hospital,” he said. Dr. Weerasena said the project will cost Rs.100 million and the site for the hospital is at Kollupitiya. “By the second week of August we will start construction and we hope to finish it by August 2008. By March 2009, we will be in operation,” he said.