Sri Lanka has free government healthcare, but in rural areas the wait times for care can be prohibitively long and hospitals are often lacking in basic amenities like privacy curtains. Our workers have chosen to invest a lot in these facilities, benefiting everyone who lives there.
Eheliyagoda Base Hospital is the only one in the area that handles emergencies, including emergency childbirth. But there was absolutely no patient privacy, as all beds were in an open room. Full privacy curtains were installed along with seats for those waiting, which greatly improved the standard of care.
The Badalkumbura Hospital cares for a whopping 800 patients a day, and it’s where many of our workers receive medical care. There’s always a wait to be seen, and yet it had no waiting room. A covered area was built in front of the hospital and filled with benches to create a comfortable, protected area.
Preventative healthcare isn’t common for a lot of our workers. To help them take better care of themselves, free health clinics are now available to farmers, tappers, and factory workers. These clinics offer check-ups, blood work, and provide financial assistance when additional treatment is needed.
