The fifth ‘Arogya Suwatha Centre’ (Health and Wellness Centre) in the national pilot project was recently (3) ceremonially opened to the public in Dankanda, Matale, under the patronage of Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Minister Jayatissa emphasised that the country has achieved high success in maternal and child health by providing continuous and accountable healthcare to a precisely identified population. He stressed that this successful model must now be applied to other sectors of the health service, which is the core reason for establishing the Arogya Suwatha Centres.
The opening of the Dankanda centre, which will serve nearly 5,000 residents across the Grama Seva divisions of Dankanda, Weralugasthenna, and Dambagolla 1, is part of the Government’s new ‘Healthy Sri Lanka’ programme. The new health policy aims to establish 1,000 primary healthcare centres nationwide in its first phase, with 100 centres scheduled to be opened by the end of 2025.
The centres are designed to be community-focused and easily accessible. During the opening, the Minister personally registered and issued the card to the centre’s first client.
The Dankanda centre is the fifth to be opened as part of the initial pilot project. The first four centers were opened in Mapalagama, Galle (September 26); Ethoya, Ratnapura (September 27); Thalpitiya, Kalutara (September 29); and Polgollawatte, Kandy (October 3).
Minister Jayatissa reiterated that the centres are not hospitals but wellness centres. He explained that the staff will be assigned to care for a specific, identifiable population of between 5,000 to 10,000 people across four to five Grama Niladhari divisions.
The centres will focus on areas like Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the elderly population, mental health, and nutrition. The primary goal is early disease detection – such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer – before patients develop complications and require hospitalisation.
The Minister added that the centres will evolve beyond being mere counselling and medicine-dispensing points. Services will be gradually introduced, including traditional and Ayurvedic treatments, physical exercise, yoga, and music therapy.
Each centre will be assigned a comprehensive healthcare team, including a family doctor, a community health nurse, and a coordination officer. The centres will offer a range of services including treatment and counselling for NCDs; elderly, rehabilitation, and palliative care; primary eye, oral, and mental health care; nutritional counselling and alcohol rehabilitation services; youth and adolescent care services; and selected laboratory tests.
For medical issues exceeding the local doctor’s capacity, the centre will schedule appointments for patients at the nearest secondary or tertiary hospital. The project’s main objective is to empower the public regarding their health and use community participation to address region-specific health challenges.
The event was attended by Matale District MP Deepthi Wasalage, Central Province Chief Secretary G.H.M.A. Premasinghe, Provincial Director of Health Services Dr. Nihal Weerasuriya, Matale Regional Director of Health Services Dr. Udara Gunathilaka, Deputy Director General of the Health Ministry Dinipriya Herath, Director (Primary Care Services) Dr. Sarathchandra Kumarawansa and Central Province Health Ministry Secretary Jagath Adhikari, alongside other dignitaries, health staff, and residents.
