Over five thousand people are on waiting lists for kidney stone removal surgeries.

Health authorities state that the number of patients awaiting kidney stone removal surgeries in Sri Lanka has now exceeded five thousand. They also point out that the limited facilities in hospitals across the country and the high demand for treatment are the main reasons for this situation.

With the aim of managing this surgical waiting list and providing services to patients across the country, the Mirigama National Kidney Stone Treatment Centre is scheduled to be opened on July 12th, under the patronage of the Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.

This latest center has been designed as a specialized facility capable of providing all necessary services for kidney stone patients, and it is expected to significantly reduce the long waiting list for surgeries. The number of patients requiring surgery due to kidney stone disease, a commonly reported health issue in Sri Lanka, is very high. Although over thirty specialized medical units are currently operating across the island, the shortage of operating theatre facilities and limited access to advanced medical technology have made it challenging to provide treatment commensurate with the demand.

As an initial step to launch this project, proposals were submitted to the Non-Communicable Diseases Task Force of the Ministry of Health. As a result, it was decided to establish this central kidney stone treatment center under the guidance of Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. The Sri Lanka Association of Urological Surgeons (SLAUS) has provided the necessary technical support and guidance for this project.