• Winner of Small/Medium and Large categories in healthcare sector
• Merit Award in Overall Healthcare Sector

Hemas Hospitals, the first and only hospital chain in Sri Lanka to have been accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards International (ACHSI), was recognized on three separate occasions for its impressive initiatives in creating a safe working environment at the recently held National Occupational Safety and Health Excellence Awards.

Organised by the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations in partnership with the Department of Labour and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the event recognizes corporates for exemplary achievements in setting and demonstrating the highest standards in occupational health and safety.

Setting the benchmark for excellence in occupational health and safety, Hemas Hospitals was crowned the winner in both the Small/Medium and Large categories for the Healthcare sector. The hospitals chain further locked in its reputation as a leading healthcare provider when it was presented a merit Award for best practices in the Overall Healthcare Sector category.

The Awards hosted at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in August was attended by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe as the Chief Guest, Minister of Labour, Ravindra Samaraweera and other high ranking government officials and leading corporates.

“This award is a testament to Hemas Hospitals’ leadership in setting a benchmark in adhering to international standards and global best practices in safety and quality. We are glad to lead by example with our efforts in raising the bar of the Sri Lankan Healthcare Sector to elevate the industry to a new level and help Sri Lanka to become an emerging healthcare hub in the region,” Dr. Lakith Peiris, Managing Director of Hemas Hospitals and President of the Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes said.

The leading healthcare provider was subjected to a stringent and comprehensive judging criteria by a team from NIOSH as well as industry experts who assessed documentation and practices relating to the Safety Management System of the organization, in addition to being subjected to a thorough field inspection.

Hemas Hospitals was crowned the winner of the Others Sector- Large category, the only healthcare organization to have won the award in the history of the NIOSH, and won an award for the Best Health and Safety Line Manager, previously.

About Hemas Hospitals: Established in 2008 with the launch of its pioneering facility in Wattala, followed by a second hospital in Thalawathugoda, Hemas Hospitals has today grown into one of the most advanced hospital chains in Sri Lanka. A subsidiary of Hemas Holdings, one of Sri Lanka’s leading conglomerates with a focus on FMCG, healthcare, transportation and leisure, the hospital chain has pioneered global best practices in Sri Lanka, setting a steep benchmark for quality and patient safety.

“Piyawara”, launched in partnership with the Children’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Women & Child Affairs, is the hospital chain’s flagship CSR initiative where over 53 preschools were constructed to house over 140 teachers and 3200 children at an investment of over Rs. 400 Mn. This is in addition to “Ayati”, where the Hemas group tied hands with the University of Kelaniya, MAS Holdings and the Sri Lankan army to construct a state-of-the-art national rehabilitation center for children with disabilities in Ragama – a project valued at Rs. 650 Mn.

Photo caption: Dr. Lakith Peiris, Managing Director of Hemas Hospitals and Quality Assurance team of Hemas hospitals receiving one of the award