Sri Lanka’s leading health care provider, Lanka Hospitals, in partnership with the Embassy of China and a coalition of Chinese enterprises based in Sri Lanka, will be gifting 1,000 free cataract surgeries to cataract patients in Sri Lanka. This extraordinary and generous undertaking coincides with the visit of the Chinese President to Sri Lanka from 16^th to 17^th September 2014, on an invitation by His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa, marking the first such visit by a Head of State of China to Sri Lanka in 28 years. Registrations for the cataract surgeries closed on 12^th September and the surgeries are being carried out from the 13^th onwards over a period of one week, offering a golden opportunity for under privileged cataract patients to be treated at a world-class medical facility like Lanka Hospitals. 

In the past, Sri Lanka has gifted 1,000 free corneal grafts to Chinese patients. The free cataract surgeries are being offered as a reciprocal gesture and also to commemorate the visit of the Chinese president. Four Chinese consultant eye surgeons will be on hand to perform the cataract surgeries at Lanka Hospitals’ advanced medical facility.

Sri Lanka and China have a long and rich tradition of close ties and the visit of the Chinese premier will serve to further strengthen this bond. More importantly, the visit will have a positive impact on 1,000 cataract patients who can access cataract surgery free of cost and that too at a medically advanced hospital such as Lanka Hospitals. Lanka Hospitals is spearheading medical tourism in the region and is acquiring international certification that will testify to its world-class medical facilities and expertise.

Having a service philosophy built on the principles of commitment to clinical protocols, provision of compassionate care and service excellence, Lanka Hospitals provides an array of healthcare services ranging from heart centre, kidney care centre, surgical centre, emergency services to nuclear medicine centre. All these medical services are provided to patients utilizing state-of-the-art technology with greatest attention to patient care and convenience.

A fully-equipped modern fleet of ambulances, channeling service with a wide range of specialties, 24x7 medical officer service and mobile sample collection service where results are faxed or emailed to the patient are just to name a few amongst the wide spectrum of facilities made available to patients.

Photo caption: Chinese Consultant eye surgeon performing cataract surgery

[caption id="attachment_4910" align="alignnone" width="650"] Dr. Lasantha Karunasekara - Head of Surgical Department, Lanka Hospitals, Madam Ding Yue, spouse of His Excellency the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, team leader of the Chinese Consultant eye surgeons with the 1st cataract patients out of 1000[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4911" align="alignnone" width="400"] The 1st cataract patient being received following surgery by Madam Ding Yue[/caption]