– The Ministry of Health and Mass Media has taken steps to strengthen breast cancer screening services in Sri Lanka through the procurement of five advanced mammography machines at a total cost of Rs. 765 million.The machines will be installed at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo, the National Hospital in Kandy, the National Hospital in Karapitiya, the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital and Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama.According to the Ministry, each mammography machine costs Rs. 153 million. The procurement has been funded through the Health System Enhancement Project (HSEP) with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The initiative is aimed at improving the early detection of breast cancer, which remains the most common cancer among women in Sri Lanka. The new equipment is expected to help identify tumours and abnormal breast tissue at an early stage, enabling timely treatment.In addition, two reconditioned mammography machines will be deployed to the District General Hospitals in Trincomalee and Nuwara Eliya to address immediate diagnostic requirements in those areas.

With the addition of the new and reconditioned units, the number of mammography machines operating in the state health sector will increase from 16 to 23.The Ministry noted that patients seeking mammograms at government hospitals often experience long waiting periods due to the limited availability of equipment and increasing demand for screening services. The expansion is expected to improve access to diagnostic services and reduce waiting times for patients.