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| Sunday, 19 December 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Facelift for Nuwara Eliya hospital Nuwara Eliya Base Hospital, once a dilapidated establishment has got a facelift due to the hardwork and commitment of the Acting Medical Superintendant, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr. Sanath Lanerolle. He was able to raise funds amounting to Rs. 50 lakhs from various individuals and organisations to upgrade its condition and provide the necessary healthcare facilities to the residents. by Rohan Mathes
The Nuwara Eliya base hospital which looks after the health of a down-trodden population exceeding 700,000, had been upgraded to the standard of a General Hospital last January. Nonetheless, this hill-country holiday resort has long been deprived of the basic necessities and facilities of a proper healthcare centre. The media in the recent past, had highlighted glaring and tragic events which had led to the deaths of 11 pre-mature babies, due to a virus infection. This eventually led to the temporary closure of the unit, notwithstanding the fact that Nuwara Eliya was the district with the highest number of maternity deaths in Sri Lanka. There is a severe dearth of hospital staff including specialists and consultants, and minor employees. The accommodation provided to the staff was also inadequate. Acute shortage of beds has resulted in two to three patients being confined to a single bed.
Structural defects and cracks had been manifest and detected in the hospital building. Poor workmanship and rampant corruption that is believed to have prevailed in the construction process of the hospital complex is blamed for this. These detections have prompted the hospital authorities to abandon some parts of the complex, as a safety precaution. The hospital has even been referred to as the 'Titanic', named after the ship which sank at sea after striking an iceberg, some years back. Moreover, the hospital was also deprived a 'Chest Clinic', a long-felt need of the residents. Prospective patients had to travel over 50 to 60 miles, to Badulla and to Kandy for medication. Squatters had encroached into certain areas of the hospital premises and even run unauthorised business outlets within it. Disposal Those residents living in the vicinity of the hospital had been accustomed to the disposal and scatter of their household garbage along the peripherals of the hospital, thus causing a serious environmental and health hazard. It was in this backdrop that the present Acting District Medical Superintendant, Dr. Sanath Lanerolle had assumed office at the Nuwara Eliya base hospital. In essence, it was 'Vede, vene and vece' (I came, I saw and I conquered). Through sheer dedication, commitment, hard-work and perseverance, Dr. Lanerolle, transformed the already dilapidated, ailing and ill-famed Nuwara Eliya Base Hospital to a more memorable and caring health centre during his short tenure of office. Dr. Lanerolle proved beyond doubt, the old adage that, 'if there is a will, there is a way'. Without waiting for State aid to be offered on a platter (from the Health Ministry of the Central or Local Government institutions) which however was also quite unlikely at the time, he vigorously campaigned in a determined and consistent effort to find funds from the affluent private sector. Invariably, he succeeded in tapping the relevant private sector organisations who had been quite generous in their contributions for a worthy and virtuous cause. According to Dr. Lanerolle the Nuwara Eliya District had recorded the highest maternal deaths in the country during child-birth, around 160 per 100,000. This was due to ignorance, poverty, lack of formal education, lack of basic facilities and also due to poor healthcare facilities. The Nuwara Eliya base hospital has been in a horrendous state when Dr. Lanerolle assumed office. He has intended to develop the hospital and then focus on the periphery. He has sought assistance from the government at the time, to improve the 'Labour Room' and the wards. Nevertheless, quite understandably the government was not in a position to assist him. It is then that he focussed his attention towards the private sector for financial assistance. Individuals He set-up the Hospital Development Committee (HDC) and as the Chairman of the HDC, approached individuals, organisations and Banks to raise funds for the worthy cause of enhancing the quality of patient care in the hospital. "It was a matter of building bridges and personal relationships with people. The stark facts were stubborn and clear. They signalled the burning issues and the vagaries of nature on humanity and received spontaneous reactions from the benevolent and philanthropist community in the area. We presented to them the precise nature and situation of the problem and they reacted to protect the future, by generously funding towards our envisaged goals". "As a Medical Professional, inevitably I would have to leave Nuwara Eliya some day and work elsewhere. However I would be the happiest man, in being able to serve the community by developing the hospital and leave a legacy among the poorest of the poor in Nuwara Eliya. "The sad part would be to ensure that somebody has to look after and maintain the hospital. The good work done has to be carried forward, on a consistent basis", he opined. "The hospital needed at least one 'Ultra-Sound Scanner', a CGT machine (to monitor babies) and a 'Ventilator' to provide 'lung support' for babies. Lack of space was another serious issue and a three-storied building is anticipated to resolve the same". "We expect to generate funds sans State assistance, (Rs. two million at least) by an extensive campaign, from the Lions Club, Rotarians, Planters Association and other local and foreign donors who visit the hospital for treatment or otherwise. Lyceum International has also offered assistance". "With the funds raised to-date, exceeding Rs. 50 lakhs according to Dr. Lanerolle, the 'Pre-mature Babies' ward and a 'Washing Plant' in the Children's ward has been modernised and refurbished at a cost of Rs. 1.9 million, with the assistance of Uni Lever Private Ltd. CEO Amal Kabral". "The Chest Clinic of the Base Hospital has been renovated at a cost of Rs. 450,000, through the 'Global Funds for Aids, Malaria and TB' under the national programme". "The construction of a male and female ward and the modernisation and refurbishing of a maternity unit has been financed by the Nuwara Eliya Rotary Club and the Lions Club". "A separate ward for the exclusive use of the 'clergy' has been constructed by personal donations of the Nuwara Eliya Mayor Chandanalal Karunaratne". "Another maternity ward has been refurbished by the proprietor of Nuwara Eliya Milano Restaurant". "With the financial assistance of many well-wishers of the area, a new unit to administer patients who consume insecticides and pesticides, (a common occurence in Nuwara Eliya) has been set-up". Peripherals "Among the other donations we received were from the Seylan Bank and People's Bank (Nuwara Eliya branch) CEO Ajith Pasqual (Rs. 400,000) and Dr. Kandegoda (Rs. 300,000), De Silvas Jewellery Group of Companies, Multilac Group of Companies, Computers and peripherals from Hemas Pharmaceuticals and TVs from Singer", Dr. Lanerolle said. There has been kudos all around from people of all walks of life, for the indomitable Dr. Lanerolle, for his unstinted efforts, which undoubtedly demands emulation by peers of his tribe of medical professionals in the country. According to Central Province Health Services Director Dr. Susil Siriwardena, "Dr. Lanerolle has done a marvellous job with the assistance of NGOs, community participation and other organisations outside the Health sector, such as Banks". According to Small and Medium Scale Plantation and Human Resources Development Minister C.B. Ratnayake, "Dr. Lanerolle assumed duties at the Nuwara Eliya hospital and understood the stark realties and the passions of the poor patients. He succeeded in obtaining financial assistance from philanthropists of the region and performed a yeoman service to his community with honesty and integrity, sans government assistance. I assure my fullest support to him in all his endeavours from my decentralised budget in the future". The inauguration of the renovated maternity ward complex and labour room by the Minister of Health Care, Nutrition and Uva-wellassa Development, Nimal Siripala De Silva and Minister of Small and Medium Scale Plantations and Human Resources Development, C.B. Ratnayake was held last Monday. |
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