Hospital takeover coming?

By Nandana Kehelgamuwa

The Central Government is considering taking over twenty hospitals which are currently under the control of the Central Provincial Council, Health Ministry sources said.

The main reason for considering such a decision is said to be the high number of maternal deaths in estate areas in districts such as Nuwara Eliya, in relation to other districts in the country.

The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 child births in Sri Lanka was 30. However a Heath Ministry spokesman said recent figures had shown that the death rate was about 100 per 100,000 in estate areas in the Central Province.

He said that figures had also shown that maternal deaths per 100,000 child births in the Nuwara Eliya District alone were above the national average. He said steps were being taken to take over the main hospitals in Hatton, Dickoya, Nawalapitiya and Maskeliya.

The spokesman said poor hygienic conditions and lack of education among estate workers were the main reasons for the higher number of maternal deaths.

It is hoped that with the hospitals coming under the Central Government, their standards will be improved to provide better health care facilities to people in the estate areas.