Japan gives aid for Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital

Colombo: The Japanese Government has provided a grant of Japanese Yen 390 million (Rs. 460 million) under its grant aid scheme for the improvement of the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital (Phase II).

This grant will be provided in addition to the Japanese Yen 1803 million provided on May 13, 2008 for the construction of a new three storied building with a floor area of around 7,500 square metres to house the Obstetric Gynaecology Operation Theatre, Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and Outdoor Patients Department (OPD).

The proceeds of this grant will be used for procurement of medical equipment and services from Japan for the buildings being constructed under phase I of the grant. The existing hospital will be transformed into a fully fledged hospital with modern equipment and facilities through these improvements.

Over 1.3 million people in the Anuradhapura District and Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee and Puttalam where the healthcare facilities are comparatively poor will benefit from this project.

The project will be implemented by the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry and is expected to be completed by 2010.

The signing of exchange of notes pertaining to the grant took place at the Finance and Planning Ministry.

Ambassador of Japan in Sri Lanka Kiyoshi Araki signed on behalf of the Government of Japan while Finance and Planning Ministry Secretary Sumith Abeysinghe, signed on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government.

A grant agreement was also signed between the Sri Lankan Government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Yasuko Nishino, Senior Representative of JICA Sri Lanka Office signed on behalf of the JICA and Sumith Abeysinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning signed on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government.