The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, thank you for permitting me under Standing Order 27(2) to question the Hon. (Dr.) Minister of Health and Mass Media.

¶ 02 With support from the Netherlands and the Northern Provincial Ministry of Health, a specialized Gynaecology Unit was established at the Kilinochchi District General Hospital. It was opened by the then President at the end of 2024. Modern buildings and equipment were provided by the Netherlands, yet for over three years it has not been operational or has been prevented from operating, due to poor planning, lack of adequate cadre recruitment, and lack of technical staff and training to operate modern equipment. Funding and facilities have been curtailed, undermining the hospital.

¶ 03 1. Hospitals in surrounding areas—Mullaitivu, Puthukudiyiruppu, Mallavi, Mannar, Tharmapuram, Muzhangavil, Vavunathivu, Akkarayan, Uruthirapuram, Mankulam, Pachchilaipalli, Poonakary, Vattakachchi—lack an Emergency Accident Unit in Kilinochchi DG Hospital, and there are no permanent ENT, ophthalmology, dental, and maxillofacial services. There is a shortage of obstetrics and gynaecology services and specialists, as well as vacancies across cadres including physiotherapists, nurses and technical officers. As a result, quality and operations are hamstrung. The specialized Gynaecology Unit funded by the Netherlands has lost operational readiness, and there are allegations of attempts to relocate its equipment to other hospitals. Will you guarantee the operationalization of this vital unit at Kilinochchi?

¶ 04 2. What was the total Netherlands funding (in LKR million) for the unit’s buildings and equipment, and in which year was it allocated?

¶ 05 3. What is the total cadre requirement—doctors, nurses, radiographers, and other officers—for the unit, and when will appointments be made?

¶ 06 4. Are steps being taken to transfer the unit’s modern equipment to other hospitals? If so, why, and will the unit be closed?

¶ 07 5. How long will it take to operationalize the unit fully and to appoint the necessary cadre?