Takeover of estate hospitals continuing

By Nandana Kehelgamuwa.

Most estate hospitals in the Central Province are to be brought under the purview of the central government in a bid to improve their standards, Health Ministry sources told the Kandy Times.The hospitals are to be brought under the control of the central government with the Health Ministry planning to vest 50 estate hospitals in the Government in January 2008. This year 47 estate hospitals were vested in the central government.

At present the administration of these estate hospitals is under estate companies. The hospitals are in the electoral districts of Nuwara Eliya, Matale and Kandy in the Central Province and in the electoral districts of Ratnapura and Kegalle in Sabaragamuwa.
Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has given instructions that estate hospitals in the Galle and Kalutara electoral districts in the Western Province be also taken over by the central government.

During colonial times these hospitals were run by private estate companies. According to studies conducted by the Health Ministry, the child mortality rate in the Nuwara Eliya district which has the most number of estate hospitals, is 30 per three million which is considered high. The percentage of children born with less than average weight too is going higher according to the study. This is said to be one main reason for the vesting of estate hospitals in the state.

The estate population is in the region of 900,000 and their health was a matter for the estate companies hitherto, but studies show a decline in the health standards of the estate community. The Government is keen to help improve health standards, hence the move by the health authorities.