COLOMBO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct a hospital for kidney patients in North Central Sri Lanka, the Government Information Department said.
The National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa to be built is under a donation of the Chinese government at the request of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.
Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Janaka Sri Chandraguptha signed the document Tuesday with Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka Yang Zuoyuan.
President Sirisena, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang were also present at the ceremony.
The Government Information Department said the hospital will consist of 200 beds, 100 blood dialysis machines and modern surgery complex.
As planned, the National Nephrology Hospital will be based in Polonnaruwa with surrounding areas like Trincomalee, Hambantota and Kandy.
With linkwork between kidney disease treatment institutions of several districts, the system of "one hospital, multiple points" will be set up to treat more patients and improve public health and medical service of the whole country.
The total construction area of the project will be an estimated 25,000 square meters, which includes an outpatient department, inpatient department, medico- technical departments, occupancy protection system, administrative room and park life zone.
The construction of the hospital will begin before October this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.
President Sirisena will lay the foundation stone for this hospital.
Health Minister Senaratne told Xinhua that he thanked the assistance provided by China in strengthening Sri Lanka's health sector and the National Nephrology Hospital would provide modern facilities to kidney patients in the island country.
The kidney hospital will be able to treat 200,000 outpatients and 20,000 inpatients annually.
Chronic kidney diseases have for years been killing thousands of farmers in North Central Sri Lanka, the island's rice hub.
