Contact: Lisa M Hilmi, Country Director, AmeriCares Sri Lanka, 800-486-4357, srilanka@americares.org

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Jan. 24 /Standard Newswire/ -- AmeriCares, a nonprofit disaster relief and humanitarian aid agency, is supporting the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition's post-tsunami initiative to upgrade the District base hospital at Elpitiya to a level 'A' facility hospital. The foundation stone of the new building was laid on 11 January, 2007 with the participation of the Minister for HealthCare and Nutrition, the Honorable Nimal Siripala De Silva. This post-tsunami project includes renovation of existing facilities, construction of a new medical wards complex, provision of ancillary services and equipping of the facilities. The memorandum of understanding has been signed to this effect between the Ministry of Health and AmeriCares.

Elpitiya base hospital is located in the town of Elpitiya in Galle District. The hospital serves a population of 150,000, but its catchment area covers the peripheral units at Uragasmanhandiya and Niyagama, Maternity Unit at Amugoda and the District hospitals of Karandeniya and Batapola. Around 500-600 OPD patients come for treatment each day. While Elpitya's physical infrastructure suffered no damage in the tsunami, the hospital did receive an increased patient load from referrals due to the destruction of other nearby facilities.

The upgrading process consists of three phases; Under Phase 1 of the project from March 2006 to October 2006, the renovations were carried out totaling SLR 18,652,016 in the hospital's Idle ward, Female medical ward, Female Surgical ward, OPD X-ray room, 1st and 2nd floor of OPD building, Current operating theatre, pediatric ward and Mental health Department. The renovations were carried out by Premium International and they have been selected as the consultants for the project.

In Phase II of the project, AmeriCares plans to construct a four-storey medical wards complex spending over LKR 250,000,000 including Maternity Ward, female and male Surgical and Medical Wards, operating theatre and other supportive services. Total capacity after renovations will be approximately 333 beds. Phase II began in November 2006 and construction completion is expected in November 2008. Phase III entails the supply of approximately SLR 60,000,000 of medical equipment for this new wards complex.

At the Elpitiya Hospital in Galle, AmeriCares has also installed a water treatment system to increase the quantity and quality of water and ensure the supply of pure water for operating rooms, the emergency clinic, pharmacy and laboratory.

AmeriCares has been working closely with local and international partners to design and implement programs in-country that will help the thousands of people whose lives have been completely altered by this disaster. AmeriCares Sri Lanka programs support health, water and sanitation, and economic recovery. Through partnership with the Ministry of Health, AmeriCares has equipped several major hospitals, including Tangalle Hospital, Karapitya Hospital, and Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Up to January, AmeriCares has spent over LKR 1,413,831,000 in nine districts of Sri Lanka.