The Cabinet has endorsed a tripartite agreement to expand cardiac and thoracic surgery services by utilising underutilised facilities at KDU Teaching Hospital to address growing waiting lists at the National Hospital.
The Cabinet has given its approval for a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health and Mass Media, and the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) to address capacity constraints in cardiac and thoracic surgery services across the country.
The National Hospital operates as Sri Lanka's primary centre for cardiac and thoracic procedures, equipped with advanced technology and staffed by specialised medical personnel. However, surging demand has created substantial backlogs in the surgical waiting list, leaving patients facing extended delays for treatment.
Under the proposed arrangement, KDU Teaching Hospital's cardiac and thoracic surgery facilities will be leveraged to perform procedures for patients currently awaiting surgery at the National Hospital. The Cabinet decision notes that while KDU possesses modern equipment and adequate physical infrastructure, these resources remain underutilised due to insufficient specialised clinical staff. The tripartite agreement aims to bridge this gap by redirecting National Hospital patients to the KDU facility.
The initiative is designed to expand overall surgical capacity in the country while reducing waiting times for patients requiring cardiac and thoracic interventions. Officials submitted the proposal as a means to address the operational imbalance, whereby specialist expertise concentrates at the National Hospital while modern facilities remain partially idle at the defence university's teaching hospital.
