The Government of Japan officially handed over advanced infectious waste management equipment to Trincomalee General Hospital on Saturday, as part of an initiative to strengthen Sri Lanka’s public health infrastructure.
The equipment was delivered under the “Project for the Improvement of Infectious Waste Management,” a JPY 503 million (approximately USD 3.7 million) grant project launched in April 2023.
The programme, implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will see state-of-the-art incinerators and exhaust treatment systems distributed to 15 hospitals across all nine provinces of Sri Lanka.
The handover ceremony was attended by Japan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Akio Isomata, along with Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra, Trincomalee District MP Roshan Akmeemana, and JICA Sri Lanka Chief Representative Kenji Kuronuma.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador Isomata said the project not only equips hospitals with vital waste management infrastructure, but also strengthens the skills of healthcare workers through training in Kaizen, 5S, and Total Quality Management (TQM) practices.
He noted that a “Training of Trainers” (ToT) model, incorporating modern behavioural science techniques like nudge theory, has been adopted to ensure effective knowledge transfer throughout the healthcare system.
The Ambassador also revealed that a catheterization laboratory is expected to be established at Trincomalee General Hospital within two years under a separate Japanese yen loan project.
He reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting development and reconciliation in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces.
"True sustainability in bilateral cooperation depends not only on government-to-government ties, but also on engaging the private sector, especially in the medical and industrial sectors," he added.
(lankaleader.lk)
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