With the installation of this special Medical Reference Laboratory,  quicker and more accurate medical diagnosis can be accomplished.  The new Medical Reference Laboratory will be able to offer over 300 tests which are not available in any other laboratory in Sri Lanka so far.   This will also eliminate the need for sending samples abroad which will be a great saving to the patients.

The state-of-the-art laboratory will have nine departments comprising, Haematology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Flow Cytometry, Cytogenetic, Histopathology, Immunology, Liquid based cytology and Bio Chemistry.  A special feature of the laboratory will be the daily calibration of laboratory instruments which is not a general practice here.  The functioning of the nine departments of the laboratory is manned by trained professionals and supervised by six full time Pathologists.

The President expressed his pleasure at the installation of this new facility which is equipped with cutting edge technology that follows the highest American quality standards.

Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne, Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake, Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga and Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary and Lanka Hospitals Chairman Gotabaya Rajapaksa were also present. (NJ/KH)