India Dispatches 3 Tonnes of Anti-TB Medicines to Sri Lanka

India has dispatched approximately three tonnes of anti-tuberculosis medicines to Colombo, with the consignment flown aboard an Indian Air Force C130J aircraft.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced the delivery, stating that India remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka's public health system. The medicines were sent on Monday.

The shipment is the latest in a string of Indian-assisted health and development projects in Sri Lanka. On September 16, construction began on a new two-storey Accident and Emergency Unit at the District General Hospital in Mannar, backed by an Indian grant of Sri Lankan Rupees 600 million.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa and India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha attended the foundation stone laying ceremony. The project will also equip the unit with essential medical equipment, aimed at ensuring timely emergency care during the critical "golden hour".

Jha described the initiative as a testament to the enduring partnership between the two countries and their shared commitment to people-centric development.

Earlier, on September 4, Jha inaugurated 'Suhadagama', the 21st Model Village, in Polonnaruwa, alongside Sri Lankan Parliament Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne and Deputy Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply T B Sarath. The model village project, supported by Indian grant assistance, spans all 25 districts of Sri Lanka.

In August, Jha and Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India, Mahishini Colonne, co-chaired the 41st Board Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation in New Delhi. The meeting reviewed the foundation's ongoing initiatives and examined new project proposals to deepen bilateral ties across education, culture, science, technology and other areas. Board members Mohan Kumar, Ashok Malik and Prasad Kariyawasam also attended.

The ISLF is a trust fund established in 1998 through a Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments, providing support for projects that foster economic, scientific, educational, technical and cultural cooperation.