Wellness centres are being established in urban housing complexes to improve the health and well-being of residents under the Metro Uplift programme implemented by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) under the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development.
The first wellness centre was officially opened at the Sirimuthu Sevana housing complex in Bloemendhal, Colombo 14, on Monday (24), under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Urban Development Eranga Gunasekara.
The centres are being established through a joint programme involving the Ministry of Health’s Estate and Urban Health Unit, Department of Ayurveda, UDA, Urban Settlement Development Authority, Colombo Municipal Council and regional health authorities.
The programme aims to provide residents with services covering physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being, including treatment, health education, rehabilitation and empowerment programmes.
Services planned at the centres include screening for non-communicable diseases, communicable disease prevention, elderly care, drug prevention programmes, nutrition, maternal and child health programmes, adolescent health programmes, physical and mental well-being programmes, eye clinics, accident prevention, yoga and meditation.
The centres will also offer music programmes and selected traditional medicine services, including oil treatments, acupuncture and Ayurvedic beauty treatments.
Under the first phase, wellness centres are planned for eight urban housing complexes in Colombo — Sirimuthu Sevana, Lakhiru Sevana, Laksanda Sevana, Sathhiru Sevana, Randiya Uyana, Helamuthu Sevana, Mihijaya Sevana and Nethsanda Sevana.
The government plans to expand the programme to all 24 housing complexes managed by the UDA during 2027.
A medical clinic for elderly residents of the Sirimuthu Uyana housing complex was also held on Monday to coincide with the launch of the wellness centre programme. (Newswire)