South Asia’s largest maternity hospital opens in Galle

President Ranil Wickremesinghe inaugurated the German-Sri Lanka Friendship New Women’s Hospital in Galle, hailed as the largest maternity hospital in South Asia.

The six-story hospital claims 640 beds, six operating theatres, emergency treatment units, intensive care units, laboratories, infant intensive care units, special pediatric units, and state-of-the-art medical facilities.

It also features a water purification and recycling unit.

The German government has contributed 25 million euros or 3,570 million rupees to this project and provided medical equipment.

Initially, 800 perches were allocated for the hospital’s construction, but later, two additional plots of land were acquired, increasing the total area of the hospital to nearly one thousand perches.

Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl made this significant donation toward constructing a new maternity hospital in Sri Lanka.

This gesture came after witnessing the devastation caused by the tsunami at Mahmodara Hospital in Galle.

It was then the largest maternity hospital in the southern province.

The German leader saw the destruction during his December 2004 vacation at a tourist hotel in Talpe, Habaraduwa.

Following the inauguration of the new hospital, plans are underway to relocate the Mahmodara Maternity Hospital from its current location.

During the inauguration, President Wickremesinghe also visited the newly opened maternity hospital to inspect its facilities, including the state-of-the-art surgery rooms.

The president also expressed gratitude by presenting a memento to Dr. Felix Neumann, the German Ambassador to Sri Lanka.

This is in appreciation of the generous donation received from the German government.