Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister of Health has announced an Rs. 11 billion development initiative at Badulla Teaching Hospital to expand facilities and services across the Uva Province's premier tertiary-level institution.
A comprehensive development program valued at Rs. 11 billion has been initiated at Badulla Teaching Hospital, according to an announcement by Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni during a management committee meeting held this week. The initiative is designed to enhance patient care delivery, increase staffing capacity, and accelerate completion of pending infrastructure projects at the facility.
The program addresses longstanding gaps in the hospital's resources and capabilities. Among key priorities outlined during the meeting are recruitment of additional specialist doctors, nurses, and support staff to address cadre shortages; construction of a new Professorial Unit and an Accident & Emergency facility; and installation of advanced medical equipment including a Triple Energy LINAC machine for cancer treatment. The hospital also plans to expand its Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and acquire additional medical and laboratory equipment, with efforts underway to clear customs for necessary imports.
Deputy Minister Wijemuni emphasized that past development efforts lacked a coordinated framework, resulting in resource imbalances across the health system. He stressed that planned, systematic expansion is essential for delivering quality healthcare consistently to the public. The Badulla initiative represents the 11th in a series of district-level hospital management meetings conducted nationwide to support coordinated health service development.
Badulla Teaching Hospital, situated on a 9-acre site in Uva Province, currently operates 1,562 beds distributed across 43 wards and 65 specialized units. The facility handles approximately 592,000 annual clinic visits and 371,000 outpatient treatments. Officials noted that additional measures, including provision of official residences for medical staff and land acquisition for future expansion, are already progressing.
