Special discussions on improving the infrastructure of Manipay Divisional Hospital and Mallavi Base Hospital, as well as addressing the staff shortages prevailing at these institutions, were held yesterday – on Tuesday, 18 June 2026, at the Governor’s Secretariat under the chairmanship of the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan.
During these meetings, the requests submitted by the respective Hospital Welfare Societies were examined in detail, and several favorable decisions were reached to address the issues raised.
*Improvement of Manipay Divisional Hospital*
Although Manipay Divisional Hospital serves a large number of patients, its Hospital Welfare Society informed the Governor that the institution continues to operate with several long-standing deficiencies. In particular, shortages of nurses, medical laboratory technologists, minor staff, and doctors, as well as the lack of a fully equipped outpatient department and accommodation facilities, were highlighted among the society’s key concerns.
Addressing these issues, the Governor explained that staffing approval for nurses has not yet been granted for the 33 divisional hospitals in the Northern Province. The matter has already been brought to the attention of the Department of Management Services, which has assured that it will be given favorable consideration. Based on the current patient intake at Manipay Hospital, a request has been submitted for six additional nurses.
The Governor further noted that although the hospital is designated as a Grade C institution, it does not yet possess all the facilities required for that category. Therefore, priority should be given to providing the necessary facilities and ensuring the hospital functions properly before considering an upgrade in status. He also pointed out that transferring staff from another hospital would negatively affect services at that institution; however, temporary alternative arrangements could be made to address the immediate needs.
In addition, the Governor requested Hon. Member of Parliament Sribhavanandarajah, who attended the meeting, to seek a special financial allocation from the relevant ministry for the hospital’s building requirements. Other needs discussed included a roof of staircase for the medical laboratory, a scanner, CCTV facilities, and a solar power system.
*Improvement of Mallavi Base Hospital*
The urgent and essential requirements of Mallavi Base Hospital, as presented by its Hospital Welfare Society, were also discussed during the meeting. Particular attention was given to securing Rs. 8 million to relocate the laboratory due to the planned expansion of the dialysis unit, and Rs. 2.5 million for the construction of covered walkways for the male and female wards. The Governor expressed confidence that the necessary funding allocations could be provided in the future.
The discussions also covered:
The appointment of a medical laboratory technologist on a contract basis., Obtaining a supervision report from the Provincial Buildings Department engineer regarding roof leakages in the Outpatient Department and Emergency Treatment Unit, followed by necessary repairs. and Securing tax exemptions from the central government for two new dialysis machines to be introduced to the hospital.
The discussions were attended by Hon. Sribhavanandarajah, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Sandilipay Divisional Coordinating Committee, the Secretary to the Governor of the Northern Province, the Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Health, the Divisional Secretary of Sandilipay, the Provincial Director of Health Services, the Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services and the Medical Officers in Charge of the respective hospitals, among others.
