Diagnostic services
Malaria
Diagnostic services are provided with daily visits to all the medical wards of the National Hospital, Sri Lanka by the staff for collection of blood smears. The smears are stained and examined for malaria parasites and reports are sent to the ward. All the Government and private institutions dealing with malaria patients could obtain the diagnostic services including hospitals such as the Army Hospital, Lady Ridgway Children’s Hospital, Castle street hospital for women and De Soyza Maternity Hospital.
The Department’s Laboratory serves as the reference centre of malaria diagnosis for the Ministry of Health’s Malaria Elimination Programme.
Diagnostic and management services of malaria for rural community is provided via the Malaria research station situated at Kataragama in UVA province.
Leishmaniasis
A weekly clinic is carried out by the Department where diagnostic tests are carried out for all patients (including referrals) for leishmaniasis. Centre for Training, Research and diagnosis of leishmaniasis, UCFM. Read more
Other Parasitic Diseases
Diagnostic services on filariasis, protozoan infections ,helminthic infections and cestode infections are provided free of charge for all the government institutes and these facilities are available for private institutions and individuals for a nominal fee.
Snakes and Insects
Identification of snakes, adult worms and insects of medical importance (mosquitoes, ticks, mites, fleas) is carried out at the department and specimens are received from all around the country.
Health Education and public awareness services
Services of the experts in the field of Medical Parasitology and entomology is available for schools, health institutes, forums, colleges and Non governmental organizations (Lion’s Club, Red cross society ) for their programs focusing on awareness and health education on prevention and control of parasitic diseases .
Investigations carried out at the Parasitology Laboratory
The Department has three laboratories (routine, advanced and Immunochemistry) which carry out laboratory investigations on request or for research.