The economic and political arena in Sri Lanka over the past few months has been in peril with a lot of uncertainty and state-level decisions that have adversely affected most businesses, industries and individuals, and Nawaloka Hospitals was no exception to this.
Commenting on the situation the hospital was faced with, Nawaloka Hospitals Group Chairman Dr. Jayantha Dharmadasa said that “as a humane and people-driven hospital, our commendable efforts to maintain the affordability aspect resulted in most of the costs being absorbed by us, but this is a decision we came to from our hearts, despite the outcome. This situation is the best iteration of our resilience and commitment to stay loyal and honest with our patients through thick and thin.”
During this period, Nawaloka Hospitals went that extra mile to facilitate transport for patients free of charge, in order to ensure a seamless continuation of operations while also encouraging patients to visit the hospital to obtain vital healthcare facilities. This service was also extended as a shuttle service from the hospital to various suburbs with patients who are struggling to find transport to the hospital.
In addition, the hospital also started its Mobile Laboratory services, with lab tests on line facility, along with its Mobile Drug Delivery service, bringing patients their prescribed medication conveniently to their doorstep. Nawaloka Hospitals was also the first in the country to set up a center specifically for patients having post-COVID complications, headed by a consultant, Respiratory Physician Dr. Riaz Mowjood.
To bring further convenience, safety and ease to patients, the hospital also introduced an e-billing system during this time, allowing patients to pay their bills from the comfort of their homes, and the Nawaloka App was another achievement for the hospital this year.
Nawaloka Hospital has also implemented a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) to securely store and digitally transmit electronic images to relevant stake holders. With this state-of-the-art technology, radiologists from any part of the world has access to all patient related radiology records and images, enabling them to provide consultations and reports on-the-go. This promises convenience and real-time updates to provide efficient services to our patients. The facility was widely used by consultants and patients during the pandemic.
Simultaneously implementing measures to improve and enhance the work flow and productivity of hospital staff has also been one of the key focus areas during this time. The hospital commenced its in-house COVID treatment center, instead of running multiple COVID intermediary care centers, and also introduced its mobile post-COVID clinic, where a mobile team, along with a doctor would visit patients at their homes.
However, it was also during this time that the hospital saw a drop in both its local and overseas patient counts, although there was a noticeable increase in video consultations. This was because the hospital premises were in close proximity to the “protest site” and public unrest led to lockdowns in the area. The situation only worsened from that point, as the country’s socio-economic issues led to both a fuel and energy crisis in the country.
Despite all, Nawaloka Hospitals takes pride in its stance as a people-centric healthcare service provider, as the hospital understands the challenges people were undergoing during this period. During this time, the hospital also underwent an organizational restructuring to better adapt to the volatile situation- prompted by the country’s economic crisis and inflation. The restructuring was complete by the third quarter.
