Health in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is having a free and universal healthcare system. It scores higher than the regional average in healthcare having a high Life expectancy and a lower Maternal and Infant deaths than its neighbors. It is known for having one of the worlds earliest known Healthcare systems and has its own indigenous medicine system.

The country has the best health statistics among South Asian nations, It has chlorinated tap water that's safe to drink (though differences in bio-culture may lead people unaccustomed to Sri Lankan water to fall ill with upset stomachs, the water is still safe to drink from a hygiene and medical perspective) and state-funded immunization program.

There are currently 593 government-funded hospitals and 197 privately-funded hospitals, providing a total of one doctor per 1,187 persons, and providing one nurse per 683 persons. While the majority are run according to western medical systems, several hospitals providing classical medical systems also exist.

The Sinhalese medical tradition records back to pre historic era. Besides a number of medical discoveries that are only now being acknowledged by western medicine, the ancient Sinhalese are believed to be responsible for introducing the concept of hospitals to the world. According to the Mahawansa, the ancient chronicle of Sinhalese royalty. King Pandukabhaya had lying-in-homes and hospitals (Sivikasotthi-Sala) built in various parts of the country after having fortified his capital at Anuradhapura in the 4th century BCE. Ruins of a hospital in Mihintale which was built by King Sena II (851-885 A.C.) that dates back to the 9th century has been discovered and it is considered as one of the worlds oldest hospitals. Several Sinhalese kings ancient Sri Lanka are known to be practitioners of medicine, King Buddhadasa (340-368 AC) was said to be adept in general medicine, surgery, midwifery and veterinary medicine and he is known for the surgical operation on an outcaste (Chandala) woman in order to deliver her child and the surgical removal of a lump in the belly of a snake. "Sarartha Sangraha", a comprehensive medical treatise in Sanskrit is also attributed to King Buddhadasa. King Aggabodhi VII (766-772 A.C.) is known for his medical research and According to the Culavamsa, the king "studied the medicinal plants over the entire island of Lanka to ascertain whether they were wholesome or harmful to the sick." Excavations of the ruins of Ancient hospitals have uncovered several surgical instruments like Forceps, Scalpels and Scissors as well as spoons that are believed to be used to mix or administer medicine. The hospitals in Ancient Sri Lanka had Toilets and baths that were attached to the living quarters .The hospitals had been designed for ventilation and free circulation of air due to two open courts in addition to the windows which indicates that psychological aspects of therapeutics were understood by Medical practitioners.

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