Philanthropist and business leader Nahil Wijesuriya has donated Rs.161 million worth of medical equipment to the National Kidney Stone Referral Centre in Meerigama.
The new centre will help doctors treat complex kidney stone cases through the public health system. It plans to handle more than 1,000 procedures each year when it reaches full capacity.
Patients will receive treatment free of charge.
Urological surgeons from across the country can also bring their patients to the centre. They will have access to specialist equipment and facilities in one location.
One national centre for complex cases
The centre gives doctors a shared facility for difficult kidney stone cases.
Many hospitals do not have all the equipment needed for complex treatment. The Meerigama centre aims to fill that gap.
Doctors from different parts of the country can use its equipment for their patients. This reduces the need for every hospital to maintain the same costly machines.
The Sri Lanka Association of Urological Surgeons proposed the project. The Ministry of Health then worked with specialists to develop the centre.
Earlier reports also linked the project to efforts to reduce waiting lists for kidney stone surgery.
More than 1,000 procedures each year
The centre plans to carry out more than 1,000 complex procedures each year.
That gives Wijesuriya’s Rs.161 million donation a clear public benefit. The equipment will support a national service rather than a single hospital unit.
Patients will also receive care through the free public health system.
This is especially important for people who may not be able to pay for treatment at a private hospital.
The centre can also help surgeons treat patients closer to the public health network. It gives them access to equipment that may not be available at their own hospitals.
Private funding adds capacity to public healthcare
The project also shows how private funding can support public healthcare.
Wijesuriya funded the medical equipment needed for the centre. The Ministry of Health will operate the facility as part of the state health system.
The project moved ahead within a few months after specialists proposed the idea.
Wijesuriya has also supported other health and education projects. His past contributions include support for the Little Hearts project at Lady Ridgeway Hospital.
The next test will be how quickly the Meerigama centre reaches full capacity.
If it performs more than 1,000 procedures a year, it could ease pressure on other hospitals. It could also help more patients receive specialist kidney stone treatment without paying for private care.
The real value of the Rs.161 million donation will therefore come from the number of patients the centre can treat.
Last modified: September 8, 2026
