Mahiyanganaya Base Hospital, one of the health facilities hardest hit by the flooding triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, has returned most services to normal while urgent repairs continue on several critical units, officials said following an on-site inspection.
Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni and Health and Media Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe visited the hospital to assess the damage and review ongoing recovery efforts. The hospital sustained significant losses to buildings, medical equipment and staff quarters after severe inundation last week.
According to officials, four major units — the intensive care unit, X-ray department, main operating theatre and dental surgery unit — remain non-operational due to equipment damage. However, outpatient services, the blood filtration unit, laboratory services and clinics resumed two days after the floods. Wards for maternity, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, internal medicine and the eye unit are now functioning as usual.
During discussions with the hospital administration, Dr. Wijemuni said both the Mahiyanganaya and Halawatha hospitals were severely affected by the disaster. He said all eligible state assistance and allowances must be provided to affected health workers, regardless of whether they are public servants or not.
He instructed officials to expedite a full assessment of losses to buildings, medicines and equipment, noting that state resources and financial support from the World Health Organization could be directed toward reconstruction. The ministry will also establish an institutional committee representing all hospital staff to speed up problem-solving and recovery work.
Dr. Wijemuni said the disaster underscored Sri Lanka’s vulnerability to climate extremes, adding that the country ranks among the top five most climate-affected nations. He noted that despite internationally recognised engineering research and planning, gaps remain in practical disaster resilience, particularly in urbanisation and service infrastructure.
Dr. Jasinghe said the main damages identified were to the operating theatre and staff quarters, and key decisions had been taken to fast-track restoration. Some equipment has already been repaired with assistance from technical teams of the Health Ministry.
Hospital staff managed to safeguard essential equipment and medicine stocks during the floods, ensuring critical services could be restarted quickly, officials said. (Newswire)
