Sri Lanka - Health
There are many public hospitals in Sri Lanka, but the quality of care is not among the best in the world. Foreigners will have to pay for any treatment received at public hospitals.
The private hospitals here are equipped with much-advanced equipment and facilities. The standards of treatment are much higher than government hospitals. There is no crowd and queues which means you don’t have to wait for hours to obtain treatment. Private hospitals in Sri Lanka also charge a fraction of what Western hospitals charge.
Facilities are limited for those injured while scuba diving. Sri Lanka’s only operational decompression chamber is at the Sri Lanka Navy Base in Trincomalee.
If you become seriously ill or injured, you’ll need to be evacuated to a place with better facilities. Medical evacuation can be very expensive. Visitors should ensure they have adequate travel health insurance.
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases:
Make sure you are up-to-date on all routine vaccines prior to your trip.
Vaccines for Hepatitis A and B, as well as typhoid, are recommended.
Japanese Encephalitis occurs in Sri Lanka, with transmission considered to be year-round. Consider vaccination if you plan to engage in activities that raise the risk of infection, such as traveling to remote areas. For travelers who will stay for a month or more in regions where Japanese encephalitis is present, vaccination is advised.
There is no risk of yellow fever in Sri Lanka. The government of Sri Lanka requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever.
Food and Water Concerns:
Avoid drinking tap water which is heavily chlorinated and contains micro bacteria that can cause stomach upsets. Visitors should avoid consuming raw dairy products, undercooked meat or fish, and unwashed leafy greens, fruit, and vegetables.
Mosquito-borne Diseases:
There is no risk of Malaria in Sri Lanka.
There is a risk of dengue in this country. An increased number of cases have been reported this year (2023). The most affected areas are the western regions of the country.
For travel notices to Sri Lanka, visit the webpage of the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention – Dengue in Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Prevention:
- Use a repellent containing 20%-30% DEET or 20% Picaridin on exposed skin. Re-apply according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Wear neutral-colored (beige, light grey) long-sleeved clothing.
- Pre-soak or spray the outer layer of clothing and gear with permethrin.
- Ensure that the hatch and window screens work properly.
Other Diseases:
In Sri Lanka, where rabies is seen as a risk, it is common to come across rabid dogs. If you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other mammal while in Sri Lanka, rabies treatment may be limited or unavailable.
Consider getting a rabies vaccination before your trip if your activities involve dogs or wild animals.
Prescription Drugs:
The government pharmacy known as Osu Sala (located throughout the island) is a one-stop shop for all your medicine requirements. Meanwhile, private hospitals have in-house pharmacies.
Visitors can bring medicine for their personal use without prior approval of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) under the following conditions:
- The quantity of any medication required during your stay in Sri Lanka or the quantity required for up to 90 days, whichever is less.
- Prior approval from NMRA is required for quantities exceeding the 90-day requirement.
- The medicine administered through intramuscular or intravenous route is not permitted.
- The medicine must be packed in the original container. If not, it must be properly labeled to identify the name and strength of the drug along with instructions for use. Medical records or prescriptions must be produced if necessary.
For further details on bringing personal medicines to Sri Lanka, see the webpage of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
Emergency Numbers:
See Emergencies.
See all government hospitals in Sri Lanka here.
Some of the well-known private medical facilities in the country include Durdans Hospital, Asiri Central Hospital, Nawaloka Hospitals, Lanka Hospitals, and Oasis Hospital.
Useful links:
Last updated: September 2023
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We have had last week a tour in Sri-Lanka, unfortunately we had a very bad guide from Galle Harbour, mr. Jozef. He presented himself as a well-educated and good guide, but on the way he informed us very poor about culture and possibilities, was each evening complete drunk and present himself in the daytime as a clown to other people.
We agreed to pay 50% of the trip in advance and after the trip the other 50% by banktransfer. Each day he forced us to pay him a part of the last 50% payment, only to pay the hotels, excursions and the rest to buy cigarettes and alcohol for his own pleasure.
That’s why we hardly advice you, don’t make further appointments with him!!
We can recommend an very honest other guide, Mr. Asela who is also a cheap Tuktuk driver for the marina-people. This is a well educated man, knows a lot of facts over the Sri-Lanka culture and is a good guide to join with and organise your trip in Sri-Lanka! You can reach him on Telephone/WhatsApp 077 920 8933.
He will not disappoint you!!
Apr 22, 2019 12:43 PM
We used GAC in Galle and Nuwan in Galle did a good job with the paperwork but the GAC system is painful – all instructions have to go via GAC Colombo – and stuff gets lost in the communication. They also charged $400 for clearing in a 10kg parcel at Colombo and shipping to Galle Harbour. They are more geared to big ships, so, while I don’t have experience of the others, I wonder if there is a better alternative
Mar 31, 2019 09:20 AM
We had a great 25-day stay in Sri Lanka. Our boat was in Trincomalee the whole time, which we loved. The anchorage is flat calm and the town is quiet. We cleared in using Sandeep from GAC, who was extremely helpful to us.
We hired a driver, Raj, to get us around the Cultural Triangle for three days. He can be reached at +94 77 766 7256. He dropped us off at Kandy where we took the train down to Ella and back over three days, and then we had Raj organize a driver to get us to Wilpattu for a three-day safari then back to the boat.
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country. It’s unfortunate we can’t gunkhole, but I enjoyed our stay.
Provisioning is available. Food City is a small grocery store, but has meats (chicken, some pork and some beef), cheese, and basic pantry goods. Near the dock in Trinco, there are a few small shops with staples. Dried beans, raisins and dates are easy to find.
We used Dialogue for our SIM, and got 30 GB (with time restrictions) for $8USD.
clif everett says:
Feb 23, 2019 04:35 AM
Tango shipping agency got us through customs formalities on a national holiday at 8pm. I was amazed. The price was $325. We were able to go to dinner that same evening.
When we arrived in Sri Lanka we called for Tango Shipping Agency on the Ch 16 – Mr Chatura and Nilusha were great and went beyond the formalities to enter the country. Mr Chatura is a man of the sea, very experienced in many areas and helped us a lot in electrical problems for free! They were clear, helpful and kind and we became friends.
We also made friends with the helpful and smiley Ekka, the tuk-tuk driver that knows everything and everyone – http://www.ekkatours.com +94723371116. We loved Sri Lanka, thank you all!
Steve – the best group to get involved with is the Red Sea Passage Facebook Group. See http://www.noonsite.com/General/Piracy/red-sea-passage-facebook-group.
There is also a facebook group for Crossing the Indian Ocean (on passage)
I am planning to sail from Sri Lanka to the Red Sea early in 2019 and would like to communicate with other sailors (owners and/or crew) interested in doing the same.
To everyone planning to go to Trincomalee Sri Lanka…
TWO important points…
NIGHT TIME ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE
Be advised that entrance or exit in or out of Trincomalee Port is NOT allowed at night. There will be no circumstance that will permit entrance at night. There are no lighted buoys, and the harbormaster is not willing to be responsible for your nighttime entrance/departure. You must heave to or drift until morning if you arrive at night. Plan your arrivals accordingly.
CUSTOMS CLEARANCE TO PORT
Be advised that it is a big problem if you arrive in Trincomalee with clearance to a port of “Maldives” or anything besides “Trincomalee, Sri Lanka” or “High Seas”. GAC agent Sandeep worked hard for many hours today to get the problem cleared up with customs, and it is now resolved, but be aware that common practice elsewhere is not common practice here.
We cannot speak highly enough of our agent, Sandeep Kavinda Wickramarathne, from GAC Shipping Ltd. (Ph +94764675451). We paid US$310 to GAC Shipping for their services for a one month stay in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. We found them to be very professional and efficient. Clearing in was no problem and very friendly. Nobody asked for any extra fees.
The harbour is an excellent place to anchor and leave your boat for a few days exploring inland. Trincomalee is a nice sized town to use as a base for further travel inland. We had an excellent and well-priced guide – Yosef Ph.+94778802557. His price included all his expenses and then we paid for our meals and hotel on top of that. We were not approached by any fishermen upon entering the harbour.
We chose Trincomalee because we had heard that the concrete plant in Gal leaves concrete dust all over your boat.
Overall a great anchorage with good holding, easy access and great people.