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National Hospital of Colombo has introduced Sri Lanka’s first artificial intelligence-powered MRI scanner to the government healthcare system, marking a major step forward in the use of advanced medical technology in the country.
The new state-of-the-art machine was officially launched on Monday by Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Mass Media, and will now be used to provide diagnostic services for patients at the hospital.
According to the Ministry of Health Sri Lanka, the MRI scanner—installed at a cost of over Rs. 450 million—is expected to improve and speed up diagnostic testing, particularly for patients in the emergency treatment unit and neurosurgery division. This is the first time that a government hospital in Sri Lanka has been equipped with an MRI machine integrated with artificial intelligence technology.
Previously, the hospital experienced difficulties when its three existing MRI scanners frequently malfunctioned, causing delays and inconvenience for patients. Following the change in government, Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa and Deputy Minister Hansaka Wijemuni took steps to repair and restore the previously inactive machines. With the addition of the new AI-powered system, the hospital now has four operational MRI scanners.
Several senior health officials attended the inauguration ceremony, including Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Health; Pradeep Wijesinghe, Director General of the National Hospital; and Indika Jagoda, Director of the Emergency and Neurosurgery Unit, along with medical specialists and nursing staf
