Telemedicine project faces setback as 230 TV screens remain unused

2026-02-03 - 17:39

Around 230 smart TV screens imported to hospitals across Sri Lanka for telemedicine services remain idle in hospitals, placing the equipment at risk of becoming unusable, according to the President of the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) – Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa. He raised the issue during a media briefing, noting that the smart TV units were supplied under a USAID-funded project and distributed to hospitals in 2023. A letter bearing the signature of the Director General of Health Services – Dr. Asela Gunawardena had been issued to Base Hospital Directors, Provincial Hospital Directors, and other health institutions regarding the utilization of the equipment. According to the directive, the smart TV screens were to be installed in locations with easy access for medical specialists, enabling their use in patient information management and telemedicine consultations. The letter had further instructed hospital administrations to make maximum use of the facility to strengthen primary healthcare services through improved coordination with secondary and tertiary care services, thereby enhancing overall patient care delivery. However, Dr. Sanjeewa pointed out that due to the failure to operationalize the system for nearly 03 years, a significant number of the devices have become non-functional, resulting in a financial loss running into millions of rupees.