Opening Another Door for Patients Waiting for Heart Surgery
A new three-way partnership is set to give Sri Lankans waiting for heart surgery another route to treatment, with the KDU Teaching Hospital joining efforts to ease the pressure on the country’s main public cardiac surgery services.
A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed on 25 August between the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University will facilitate the expansion of free cardiothoracic surgery at the KDU Teaching Hospital.
The initiative is aimed at reducing congestion and tackling the lengthy waiting list at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Specialist doctors and clinical staff from the National Hospital’s Cardiothoracic Unit will perform free heart and thoracic surgeries at KDU.
KDU will provide the necessary hospital infrastructure, facilities and specialised equipment, while the Ministry of Health and Mass Media will supply medicines, medical supplies and specialised medical care.
Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) said the collaboration would help reduce waiting times and improve access to life-saving cardiac treatment, while also making better use of KDU Hospital’s modern facilities and equipment.
The agreement was signed by Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media Dr Anil Jasinghe and KDU Vice Chancellor Rear Admiral H. G. U. Dhammika Kumara, representing their respective institutions.
The initiative is being implemented in accordance with a Cabinet proposal submitted by Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa.
