New Cancer Ward Complex for Kandy
General Hospital
Plans are already afoot to launch construction of a ten storied ward complex at a
cost of 700 million rupees. Kandy businessman Indra Silva has come forward to
donate Rs.150 million for the initial stage of the project. President Rajapaksa
highly appreciated the contribution to be made by the private sector for
construction work. At the meeting Chief Minister SarathEkanayake promised that
part of the grants of Central Provincial Councillors will be provided for the
project. Ministry of Health has requested contributions from generous
contributors.
The Director of hospital has pointed out that around 4000 cancer patients are being
detected annually at the Kandy hospital alone. However, residential facilities are
available for only 85 patients. There is an extent of 56 acres for the Kandy General
Hospital. Doctors pointed that mainly due to encroachers it only has about 16
acres at present. As such the doctors said that appropriate action had to be taken in
this respect immediately. President Rajapaksa upon lengthy evaluation of the
project has pointed out to the authorities to rectify shortcomings of the project and
to commence construction by January next year.
The planned Cancer Treatment Centre will be within the Kandy General Hospital,
and is certainly ambitious. It is envisaged to be a 10 storey, two-unit building
housing within it all branches and departments of cancer treatment and awareness
creation. It will also be the second cancer hospital in Sri Lanka that houses
inpatients and treats outpatients in-house. 340 beds is the target for inpatients.
Needless to say it will have the most modern technologies and equipment. The
total construction cost is Rs 640 million. Mohan Samarakoon who is playing a
leading role in the project says: "We possess most of the equipment but the new
machines will be supplied by the State. H E the President was in conversation with
the Committee on Monday 28th. He will give us a kick start of Rs 80 M."
The actual construction of the Kandy cancer hospital could take between 18 to 24
months, the booklet says. Again, ambitious but not at all impossible. The
organization behind it is dedicated and determined to achieve targets.
The present Cancer Treatment Unit of the Kandy Hospital handles over 4,000 new
patients a year. This number will surely increase with population increase and
deterioration of life styles, intake of fast foods and stressful living. Thus a new
fully equipped hospital for cancer patients is an urgent need, particularly since
Kandy is not only the centre of the Central Province but caters to needs of Uva and
other adjacent provinces.
The Committee is composed of President – Mohan Samarakoon, Secretary –
DrSusilSiriwardena; Treasurer – Ananda de Silva; Medical Advisory CommitterDoctors C S M Gunathilake, A J Hilmi, L Obeysekera; S J B Alagoda, amd M
Udukala, all specialist oncologists.
Some points in their Statement of Purpose read thus:
* To reduce death due to cancer in the country, the Central Province in particular,
through promoting awareness on cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis,
treatment and care for patients
* To facilitate clinical excellence in services for children and adolescents
throughout the Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa and North Western provinces and to
undertake research and education in the full range of health issues relating to
cancerThe hospital will be built on the ‘Green Building Concept’ so it will be
environmentally friendly.
The Unit serves over 4000 new patients every year providing surgery, radiation
and chemo treatment. Facilities such as operating theatre, X-ray and scanning
machines are shared with other wards and units. A large number of outpatients too
use these facilities. This causes a delay in detection and lack of immediate medical
treatment that can be fatal to a cancer patient.
Moreover, the medical facilities at the Kandy Hospital are used by patients from
six of the nine provinces in Sri Lanka, who travel from distant places for
specialized treatment. Bearing this in mind, the Hospital Committee decided to
launch this ambitious project and are hoping to make it a community project with
the assistance of the public.
The construction cost of the proposed new unit, a 10-storey building with modern
facilities is estimated at Rs.640 million. It will be a comprehensive cancer
treatment centre within the premises of the Kandy General Hospital. It will have
state-of-the-art equipment and facilities - Linear Accelerator and Brachy Therapy
machines, chemotherapy, Radioactive Iodine, a Leukaeamia Treatment Facility,
Onco Surgery, Paediatric Oncology and Gyno oncology.
The unit will have four outpatient clinics and 350 in-patient hospital beds through
male, female and paediatric wards. At present, patients who need a particular type
of treatment are directed to the National Cancer Institute Maharagama, as Kandy
is unable to treat them due to the unavailability of certain equipment.
Although the government will provide some funding for the new Cancer Unit, the
major contribution is expected from private donors, making it a private-public
partnership venture. Mr. Samarakoon stated that the business community and
some families in Kandy have already pledged their support and appeals to the
public for assistance to make this venture a success and to complete it in three
years