MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH EXPERTS ASSURED FACILITIES AT SEEDUWA FOR PREGNANT WOMEN & CHILDREN

A combined team of senior medical experts on Maternal and Child health, including Dr (Mrs) H.S. R Perera, Deputy Director General of Health Services, Dr (Mrs) Chithramalee de Silva, Director, Family Health Bureau, Prof Dr Shaman Rajindrajith, Consultant Paeditrician, Dr Surantha Perera, Consultant Paeditrician and Dr Sanath Lanerolle, President, Perinatal Society of Sri Lanka called on General Shavendra Silva, Head, NOCPCO, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army on Monday (24) at the Army Headquarters and explored possibilities of getting the best care for pregnant women and children with special needs, amid looming COVID-19 threat.

Considering the very low mortality rate in the country, compared to other lands, those specialists during the meeting at the Army HQ sought General Shavendra Silva's strategic guidance to find the best solution for safety of pregnant women and sick children who are vulnerable and exposed to the virus in certain regions and volunteered to offer their maximum support for implementation of a concrete strategy in this regard as advised by HE the President.

General Shavendra Silva in response requested those specialists to use a full Ward in the Army Seva Vanitha Unit-sponsored best facility with 1200 beds at Seeduwa Intermediate Care Centre cum new Hospital, equipped with an emergency treatment unit, isolation sections, resuscitation units, ICU, medical stores, etc for this requirement, considering the importance of their requests. As directed by HE the President, General Shavendra Silva giving priority to their concerns requested them to come up with a quick plan of action on the need since the Seeduwa Facility can now be made available for maternal and child care needs as well.

Those visiting medical experts on maternal and pediatric care also sought openings to get a separate fund allocation passed for this prioritized maternal and pediatric need while simultaneously underlining the need to launch an extensive awareness and educative programme among women on those lines during the period of travel restrictions, so that they could turn to the facility with less difficulty in an emergency.

The team of medical specialists, appreciative of the NOCPCO Head's forthcoming support for the project, volunteered to visit the Seeduwa ICC/Hospital facility within the course of Tuesday (25) and immediately prepare modalities for implementation of the project after collective discussions with all stakeholders and Health Ministry officials in the shortest possible time.