[Sunday Observer PLUS]

Caring for the sick :

CMC expands medical services to less fortunate

By Ranil WIJAYAPALA

CMC Western dispensary complex, Borella South Mutuwal South dispensary after repairs A patient being attended to

The long queues at the Out Patient Department of the Colombo National Hospital may give a clear picture of the difficulties faced by the patients seeking medical treatment.

While private hospitals in dozens all over Colombo and in the outstations cater to the medical needs of the affluent, the middle and low income groups depend on the free healthcare service provided by the government.

The Health Curative Department of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has come to the rescue of citizen, most of them living in undeserved settlement by taking care of their medical needs through the 39 dispensaries located all over Colombo city.

Few years back most of the clinics which were started in buildings and lands donated by philanthropists in the past were neglected thus putting the less fortunate citizen in a precarious situation.

Of the 750,000 resident population in the Colombo city around 250,000 are living in undeserved settlements which are around 1,500.

"CMC has an obligation to serve the less fortunate citizens in the city. Most of the services of the CMC caters to this sector", said Special Commissioner of the CMC Omar Kamil.

As a person who initiated the program to renovate and reconstruct all the dilapidated dispensaries when he was the Mayor of Colombo, Omar Kamil said that the program to renovate all the dispensaries is in progress with the allocation of funds for these projects annually.

"In 2002 we opened the first reconstructed dispensary at Campbell Place Borella.

Thereafter, the Polyclinic at Slave Island, Elvitigala Mawatha Narahenpita and at dispensaries at Modera and New Bazar were reopened to cater to the medical needs of the public", Kamil added.

With the reconstruction of these dispensaries people in the Colombo city get the opportunity to obtain free medical care at a very fresh atmosphere.

The reconstructed polyclinic at Cotta Road, Borella is the latest addition to the Health Curative Department of the Colombo Municipal Council.

Foundation stone to reconstruct the Cotta Road dispensary which was in a dilapidated state was reconstructed in the late 2009 with the aim of setting up a model polyclinic.

"Today we are happy to announce that tomorrow we hope to open the dispensary to provide a better and efficient service to the rate payers of the city", Kamil said.

Health Minister Maitripala Sirisena is expected as the chief guest for the occasion.

The reconstruction of the dispensary cost around Rs.50 million and it will provide medication to about 200 patients a day.

"This will be a boon to residents and the neighbourhood, to have efficient medical service in a lavish surrounding.

This is the theme to which President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the CMC to provide an efficient service to the people in Colombo", Kamil added.

"Apart from this we have the Kotahena dispensary which is to be opened soon and three other dispensaries at St. Sebasthian Road, Kirula Road and at Zavia Road Maligwatta which will be reconstructed this year", he said.

"The CMC allocates a large portion of its tax money for the medical attention of the rate payers. We have a very able medical team headed by Dr. Nimmi Wickremasinghe who has been providing leadership in reviving these dispensaries", he added.

Head of the Health Curative Department, Dr. Nimmi Wickremasinghe, the Health Curative Department is responsible in providing curative services through 39 centres which include 33 out-patients dispensaries, one staff clinic, three eye clinics and three dental clinics.

"Seven services are conducted in the evening from 3 pm to 8 pm to cater to the working population of the city", she added.

The CMC provides medical care for over 800,000 patients annually by using its funds.

On the other hand it eases the burden on the OPD service at the Colombo National Hospital by reducing at least 3,500 patients a day who may come to the OPD of the National Hospital.

"If we do not cater to the medical needs of the citizen, they will also have to go to the National Hospital for their medical needs creating long queues at the hospital", she added.

Compared to 5,000 patients arriving at the National Hospital OPD services daily and over 1.2 million patients annually the contribution made by the CMC Health Curative Department to health sector of the country is very high.

"Since these dispensaries are located close to the areas where the undeserved population are located the CMC has been able to take health services to their door steps", Dr. Wickremasinghe added.

According to Dr. Wickremasinghe patient records are maintained at the respective clinics which function as family practitioners.

She said patients from respective areas are being registered at respective dispensaries in the area and their case records are kept at the clinic to be retrieved later.

"In the areas with a larger population we provide more services to cater to the working population.

We are providing double services at Slave Island, New Bazar, Kirulapone, Thimbirigasyaya, Wellawatta, Modera where we get larger population.

We have two doctors at one station", she added.

"The medical services provide at these clinics have now been upgraded with modern medical equipment as well as larger section of drugs to fulfil the modern day health requirement", she added.The CMC commitment to the Health Curative Department is Rs. 175 million for this year and more improvements are expected within this year for the caring of the sick in the Colombo city.