Former German Chancellor Kohl’s dream comes through

Former German Chancellor late Helmut Kohl’s dream of constructing a hospital in Galle become a realty today, after 18 year when the ‘German – Sri Lanka Friendship New Women’s hospital was declared open.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe took part in the inauguration of the six-story building with 640 beds, six operating theaters, emergency treatment units, intensive care units, laboratories, infant intensive care units, special pediatric units and state-of-the-art medical facilities. In addition it features water purification and recycling plant.

The German government has contributed 43 million Euro (SLRS 13,997 mlllion) in the project in addition to providing medical equipment.

The President’s office said former Chancellor Kohl made the significant donation towards the construction of the hospital after witnessing the devastation caused to the Mahamodara hospital Galle.

Mr Kohl was holidaying in Sri Lanka at a beach villa in the South, when a wall of water came crashing in. Mr. Kohl was plucked out to safety by air force helicopters and as a mark of gratitude he pledged to build a maternity hospital since the existing one at Mahamodara was badly damaged by the tsunami.

The money for the construction of the hospital was given from the Helmut Kohl Foundation and work began in 2006 on a four acre block of land acquired from the Irrigation Department.

However, the project was delayed for several years due a range of reasons

Kohl, who served as German chancellor from 1982 to 1998,  died at the age of 87 in 2017 while the hospital project remained incomplete.  

President Wickremesinghe expressed his gratitude by presenting a memento to the German Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Dr Felix Neumann, in appreciation to the donation received from the German Government. 

Sunday Times previous report on the project:

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/111009/News/nws_013.html

https://www.sundaytimes.lk/170618/news/maternity-hospital-helmut-kohl-helped-build-to-be-named-after-him-245802.html