A new building for the Accident and Emergency Treatment Unit at the Mannar District General Hospital will be constructed with modern facilities required to provide emergency and critical medical services to the people of Mannar District quickly and in an integrated manner, with financial assistance of 600 million rupees from the Government of India.
The foundation stone-laying ceremony for this project, being implemented with financial assistance from the Government of India, was held this morning – on Wednesday 16 September 2026. The event was held with the participation of the His Excellency the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Hon. Minister of Health, Nalinda Jayatissa, the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan and the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, as the main participants.
The implementing agency of this project, jointly organized by the Provincial Ministry of Health of the Northern Province and the Provincial Department of Health Services of the Northern Province, is the Ministry of Health, Colombo, while the executing agency is the Northern Provincial Council. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Government of India was signed on 09.09.2025, while the internal agreement between the Central Ministry of Health and the Northern Provincial Council was signed on 10.11.2025.
The building to be constructed under the project will be 77.3 metres long and 34.3 metres wide. The building, consisting of two levels, namely the ground floor and upper floor, will have an area of 2,651.4 square metres on each floor. Treatment facilities with a total of 248 beds will be established in this building.
The new building will include key medical facilities such as an Accident and Emergency Treatment Unit, Intensive Care Unit, imaging and diagnostic facilities, X-ray and CT scan facilities, laboratory, and Outpatient Department (OPD).
This new investment at the Mannar District General Hospital will improve the capacity to provide immediate treatment for accidents and emergency medical conditions, while also creating an opportunity to further organize the various medical services required by the people of Mannar District under a single structure.
At the beginning of the foundation stone laying ceremony, the guests were welcomed, following which the foundation stone was laid. In the presence of the His Excellency the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the foundation stone was laid by the Hon. Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa, the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province N. Vethanayahan, the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Hon. Members of Parliament. This was followed by the unveiling of the commemorative plaque.
Following the welcome address by the Provincial Director of Health Services of the Northern Province, speeches were delivered by the Secretary of the Central Ministry of Health, the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, the Hon. Minister of Health, and the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka. Commemorative mementos were also presented.
Hon. Members of Parliament M. Jagatheeswaran, S. Thilakanathan, P. Sathiyalingam, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Kather Masthan, the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, Secretaries of the Northern Provincial Ministries, Deputy Chief Secretaries, Additional District Secretaries of Mannar District, the Hon. Chairman of the Urban Council and Chairmen of the Pradeshiya Sabhas, Divisional Secretaries, Provincial Directors, Heads of Departments, the Medical Superintendent of the Mannar hospital, doctors, nurses, health workers, members of the public and many others participated in this event.
