In 2010, Colours of Courage donated medical equipment worth USD 1 million to the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama, significantly enhancing the hospital’s treatment capabilities and helping improve patient care.
This contribution addressed critical equipment shortages and supported the hospital in providing more efficient and advanced treatment services to thousands of cancer patients.
In 2011, Colours of Courage presented the National Cancer Institute with its first-ever Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU).
Named the Urmila Amalean Medical Intensive Care Unit, this six-bed state-of-the-art facility was equipped with all essential critical care infrastructure, including:
Prior to the MICU, patients requiring intensive care or isolation often had to be transferred to National Hospital of Sri Lanka or other hospitals for ICU treatment.
Constructed at a cost of LKR 70 million, the fully equipped MICU dramatically improved cancer care at NCI by enabling critically ill patients to receive specialized care within the institute itself, reducing transfers and improving survival outcomes.
In 2012, Colours of Courage Trust further strengthened cancer care at NCI by establishing a Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU).
The SICU was built as a two-story facility designed to accommodate six patients at any given time, representing a major upgrade to the hospital’s surgical recovery and critical care capacity.
Constructed at a cost of LKR 22 million, the SICU addressed an urgent need for specialized post-surgical intensive care for cancer patients undergoing complex surgical procedures.
At the time, the National Cancer Institute served approximately 45,000 patients annually and remained the only public cancer institute in Sri Lanka. The addition of the SICU significantly reduced the need to transfer patients to other hospitals for critical care, ensuring faster intervention and better treatment outcomes.
Through these critical interventions, Colours of Courage helped transform the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama by strengthening its infrastructure, expanding intensive care capacity, and improving the quality of care available to thousands of cancer patients.
These early initiatives laid the foundation for Colours of Courage’s continued mission of transforming cancer care in Sri Lanka, ultimately leading to landmark projects such as the Tellippalai Trail Cancer Hospital and the ongoing Karapitiya Trail Cancer Hospital.