Importance of Jaffna Teaching Hospital (JTH) is immense. It is the leading hospital in the Northern Province and the only hospital in the province controlled by the central government in Colombo. The hospital is also the only teaching hospital in the Northern Province which is the main clinical teaching facility for the University of Jaffna’s Faculty of Medicine.
Due to war though the gradual progression towards world class health care was barred the JTH was able to acquire some basic equipment for its laboratory. However, this acquisition notwithstanding, the laboratories lacked support facilities such as essential air condition to ensure that equipment are maintained in good working order. Recognizing the essentiality of its services to the community, MNT donated Rs.500, 000 to upgrade JTH’s laboratory facilities.
On average JTH performs 40 dialyses per month but has only 4 functioning dialysis machines. With the increasing operational cost, free services of JTH was not entirely possible. Hospital had to collect money from poor patients to buy catheters and fluid needed for dialysis, etc. to manage the overwhelming cost. Upon awareness, MNT responded to these needs through a donation of £3,600.