SCORE’s Timely Donations to Combat Covid-19 Help Build Capacities to Speed Up Opening of Kilinochchi Hospital

by Kathya de Silva Senarath

The government opened its first regional Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Kilinochchi in the Northern Province on November 11, 2020, as a part of an island-wide program to increase capacities to treat the growing number of Covid-19 patients in the area. The USAID-funded Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity (SCORE) project, implemented by Global Communities, is proud to be a part of this milestone achievement of the Sri Lankan health authorities since the new IDH hospital is now directing  the SCORE donations made earlier this year to the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) Kilinochchi, making it possible for the hospital to open to the public sooner than it otherwise would have.

As a part of the coronavirus emergency response, SCORE supported RDHS Kilinochchi on August 4 with medical equipment based on their request to establish a Covid-19 treatment unit at the Akkarayankulam Divisional Hospital in Kilinochchi. SCORE provided two Multipara Monitors, two nebulizers and one ECG machine. However, due to growing patient numbers, the government decided to establish a separate hospital for Covid-19 treatment to mitigate the risk of infections at the divisional hospital. The new regional IDH was established and the SCORE-donated equipment was transferred there. As this is the regional IDH, Covid-19 patients from the Northern Province will not have to travel further distances to the IDH in Colombo.

Officials with the RDHS Kilinochchi who led the process to set up IDH Kilinochchi, said they were glad to be able to support the first phase of the opening within a short period with the help of SCORE donations.

“We are thankful to the timely support of SCORE. We were able to ensure the timely response to control COVID-19 from the very beginning,” said RDHS Kilinochchi Dr. Nagaratnam Saravanabavan. “The SCORE support made the process easier as we already had some equipment for IDH Kilinochchi to treat patients. It helped us open the hospital within a short period.” said.

SCORE’s Covid-19 emergency response greatly supported capacity building of government health authorities to expand and act swiftly to address the growing crisis. SCORE’s timely donations strengthened health authorities to deliver long-term solutions to the public.