Health Ministry seeks UDA help

The Health Ministry is to seek help from the Urban Development Authority to get 25 acres of land belonging to the Kandy National Hospital, occupied by squatters, released.

A spokesman for the Health Ministry said being the biggest hospital in the country after Colombo National Hospital, Kandy hospital serves over 10,000 patients a day at the OPD and over 12,000 vehicles, bringing patients and visitors enter the hospital premises on a daily basis.

The hospital receives patients in critical condition not only within the Central province but also from North Central, North Western and Northern provinces.

In addition the hospital car park has to accommodate over 600 staff vehicles at any given time.

"The total extent of the hospital land is 54 acres but at the moment only 29 acres can be used.

The other land area is encroached by people, who are either related to influential people or by those enjoy poltiical immunity," the spokesman said adding that this has been a major stumbling block in getting the hospital land released to develop the complex to cater to the growing demand. During a visit Health Services Director General Dr.Palitha Maheepala to the hospital recently, the feasibility of transferring some of the units at the hospital to a new location as a solution to ease of the current congestion was discussed. - MF