Health Support

March 31, 2009 (LBO) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has given equipment and basic medical supplies to Sri Lanka's health service for use in the north of the country, the US embassy in Colombo said.

Sri Lanka's health ministry will distribute these supplies to hospitals in Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee, and Anuradhapura, where a recent influx of 50,000 refugees has strained hospital resources, the embassy said.

The U.S. donation, valued at 77,000 US dollars (8.77 million rupees), includes kits with basic medical care items such as bandages, medicines, supplies and equipment.

The kits are approved by the World Health Organization and each contains enough supplies to provide primary care to 10,000 patients.