Kalubowila Hospital unveils one of South Asia’s first AI-enabled Cath Labs as Sri Lanka expands advanced cardiac treatment facilities nationwide.
AI-enabled Cath Lab technology has arrived at Kalubowila Teaching Hospital as Sri Lanka officially launched one of South Asia’s first Artificial Intelligence-powered Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, marking a major step in modernizing the country’s public healthcare system.
As part of the national programme to build a people-centred healthcare system supported by advanced technology, the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (Cath Lab), Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) Unit and Lithotripsy Unit at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital in Southern Colombo were officially commissioned for patient care yesterday (30). The facilities were established with an investment of Rs. 555 million.
A key highlight of the newly inaugurated facility is that it is among the first Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories in South Asia to be equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI), providing advanced support for diagnosis and treatment.
Speaking at the inauguration, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the government intends to increase the number of Cath Lab facilities in Sri Lanka’s state hospital system from the current 10 to 26 by the end of this year. The expansion programme will be carried out at an estimated cost of Rs. 3,103 million.
The Minister stated that the project will be financed through allocations from the Treasury, together with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the JICA concessional loan programme.
Dr. Jayatissa further announced that new Cath Lab facilities will be established at the National Hospitals in Colombo, Kandy and Galle, as well as major hospitals in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Badulla, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Jaffna.
He also revealed that four additional Cath Lab units are scheduled to be commissioned for patient care within this week. The Ministry of Health expects the expanded network to significantly reduce waiting times for patients who have remained on treatment waiting lists for several months.
