Doctors quarters for Dambulla hospital

Nadira Gunatilleke

DAMBULLA: Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva opened a new doctors' quarters complex at Dambulla base hospital built at a cost of Rs. 40 million.

Minister De Silva handed over Rs. 120 million worth medical equipment including an ambulance to the hospital, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

The Minister pointed out the importance of paying attention to raising awareness among the public on promoting basic healthcare practices.

"Sri Lanka pays too much attention to treatment and almost forgotten basic healthcare. The result of this is the recent outbreaks of viral hepatitis at Gampola area, eye infections at Medirigiriya and the skin rash caused by an insect at Galle", the Minister said.

Minister Silva had also stated that the Government spent millions of rupees to prevent those diseases becoming epidemics but the public could have been easily prevented them by following basic healthcare practices.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry will pay its full attention to promote basic healthcare practices and arrangements will be made to educate the public through hospitals. Arrangements will also be made to educate each and every family in Sri Lanka through family heath workers and Public Health Officers (PHIs) on the use of toilets, drinking boiled water, washing hands before each meal and all the other basic healthcare practices.