Governor calls for prompt opening of renovated wards at Balangoda Hospital
Sabaragamuwa Governor Champa Janaki Rajaratne recently (23) informed the Provincial Chief Secretary to open the wards immediately that still remain closed at the Balangoda Base Hospital (BH), despite the completion of renovation work.
She also instructed the Chief Secretary to strictly enforce the law if any financial fraud has occurred during the renovation work.
The Sabaragamuwa Provincial Governor made this notification to the Provincial Chief Secretary after participating in an inspection of the problems that have arisen at the Balangoda Base Hospital.
It has been informed that the children’s ward contains 38 beds and the obstetrics and gynecology ward contains 34 beds at the Balangoda Base Hospital, but the ward had not been opened for inpatient treatment even after the renovation work was completed. The Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council has spent Rs. 6.2 million for the renovation of these two wards.
Children, women and pregnant mothers who come to the hospital for treatment are inconvenienced due to the idling wards. As a result, patients who require inpatient care are receiving treatment in other units of the hospital with difficulties. It has been revealed that the required manpower to man these two wards has already been deployed and therefore the children’s ward is staffed by one specialist doctor, eight doctors, twelve nurses and six 06 junior staff members and is equipped with the physical resources, a breastfeeding centre, and a special infant treatment unit.
The obstetrics and gynaecology ward is staffed by two specialists, five doctors, eight nurses and six junior staff members.
Meanwhile, it was brought the attention of the Governor that waste water from the Operating Theatre (OT) located on the above floor of the three-storey building of this hospital leaks into the residential ward below. Therefore, the patients receiving inpatient treatment in that ward are at high health risk of contracting other diseases.
Governor Rajaratne informed the Provincial Chief Secretary to open all the wards for which renovation work has been completed for residential treatment and to conduct an audit of all physical development activities including these two wards at the Hospital. She has further instructed the Chief Secretary to strictly enforce the law against all parties involved if any financial crime has been committed.
Meanwhile an investigation has also been initiated by the Provincial Health Ministry in this regard.
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