Press Releases

Foundation stones laid for Indian grant assistance projects in District General Hospitals of Mannar and Mullaitivu

September 16, 2026

High Commission of India
Colombo

PRESS RELEASE

Foundation stones laid for Indian grant assistance projects in District General Hospitals of Mannar and Mullaitivu

On 16 September 2026, President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Anura Kumara Disanayaka, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santosh Jha, and Minister of Health and Mass Media, Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa, jointly laid foundation stones for construction of Accident and Emergency Unit at District General Hospital in Mannar and for construction of Four-Storied Medical Ward Complex at District General Hospital in Mullaitivu.

The ceremonies were attended by dignitaries including Hon. Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Governor of the Northern Province; Hon. Members of Parliament; Secretary and officials of the Ministry of Health; Chief Secretary and officials of Provincial administration.
Both projects are being undertaken with grant assistance from the Government of India at a cost of SLR 600 million each, for a total of SLR 1.2 billion. The project in Mannar will include the civil construction of two-storey Accident and Emergency unit and supply of necessary medical equipment to provide timely emergency assistance to people of the region saving precious lives during golden hour. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this project was signed in September 2025.
The four-storied medical ward complex in Mullaitivu will include civil construction along with necessary fittings and fixtures. This complex will help in increasing screening of patients thereby reducing premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases and referrals to other hospitals. The MoU for this project was signed in April 2026, coinciding with the visit of Vice President of India, H.E C.P. Radhakrishnan, to Sri Lanka.
These projects add to a long list of impactful development cooperation initiatives of India in Sri Lanka in the health sector. A few salient examples include the island-wide 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service; medical assistance rendered during Covid-19 pandemic; construction of 150-bed multi-specialty hospital at Dickoya; up-gradation and support to Jaffna Teaching Hospital and District Hospitals at Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu; construction of a surgical unit at Teaching Hospital, Batticaloa; among many others. The development cooperation between India and Sri Lanka stands at over 7.5 billion US dollars, including grant assistance of around 880 million, across all 25 districts of Sri Lanka.