Lanka Hospitals ends operations in Seychelles |11 August 2020
The Lanka Hospitals branch in Seychelles has ceased offering medical services and treatment at its clinic
The Lanka Hospitals branch in Seychelles has ceased offering medical services and treatment at its clinic situated in the ex-SPUP museum on Francis Rachel Street since July 20, Seychelles NATION has learned.
A call to the medical and specialist centre yesterday confirmed that it has been forced to cease its services because of the financial difficulties brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For several months we could not get medical supplies and health professionals to come down from Sri Lanka to see patients,” said the spokesperson who wanted to remain anonymous.
He stressed that the difficult economic situation impacting heavily on businesses in the country had not spared the clinic operations.
Noting that within a short time the services turned out to be no longer profitable as patients stayed away.
Asked if the closure was temporary until the economic situation improves, the spokesperson said he was not in a position to say, but noted that the decision had been taken by the board of directors of the Lanka Hospitals based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
He further added that most of the medical equipment from the clinic is being sent back to Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, he pointed out that the four Seychellois employees will be paid their dues accordingly.
The Lanka Hospitals officially opened their first branch outside Sri Lanka in Seychelles in June 2018 amid great pomp and ceremony.
Lanka Hospitals is one of the main hospitals in Sri Lanka where the Seychelles government sends Seychellois for overseas treatment and opening the branch here was seen as a good way to follow up on these patients without them having to travel back to Colombo for the purpose.
Lanka Hospitals was the only Sri Lankan hospital to manage its own fully-fledged medical centre in Seychelles with general practitioner services, specialist care, pharmacy and laboratory services.
The Medical and Specialist Centre in Seychelles was managed by Lanka Hospitals’ International Patient Care Services (IPCS) in Sri Lanka which has served over 8,000 Seychelles patients to date, of whom nearly 500 have received specialist treatment at Lanka Hospitals in Sri Lanka.
The closure of the Lanka Hospital branch here will no doubt leave many patients disappointed.
Marie-Anne Lepathy