Giving hope to Sri Lankan couples longing to see the face of a child but unable to afford private sector treatment due to financial constraints, the Faculty of Medicine in Ragama has launched a landmark initiative to provide high-quality fertility treatment at an affordable cost to all Sri Lankans, regardless of economic background.

Addressing the media on 2 June at the Senate Room, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Faculty of Medicine, Ragama—affiliated with the University of Kelaniya—announced the first successful conception using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology by its medical team. This breakthrough marks a major step forward in offering advanced reproductive healthcare through the State health sector.

The initiative aims to make fertility treatment accessible to couples who have long dreamed of parenthood but have been priced out by costly private sector options. The team of specialist doctors emphasised that their mission is to ensure that financial limitations do not prevent couples from accessing cutting-edge reproductive technology.

The announcement was made in the presence of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, Professor Nilanthi de Silva, the couple who successfully conceived, and the team of specialist doctors who led the initiative. The University’s Reproductive Health Unit, under the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, was established in 2021, and research activities officially began in 2024.

Among those who addressed the media were Senior Professor Nilanthi de Silva, Vice-Chancellor; Professor Madhawa Chandrathilake, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine; Dr. Asantha de Silva, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Dr. Pradeep Suranga Hettipathirana; and Dr. Tiran Dias—all Senior Lecturers and Consultant Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Also present was Senior Lecturer Saman Rajapaksha, Director of the University’s Communication and Media Unit, along with a group of Communication students.