Hemas-SLIIT to elevate allied health sciences education in Sri Lanka

From left: Hemas Holdings Chief Strategy and Growth Officer Rizny Faisal, Hemas Holdings Group Director and Healthcare Sector Chairman Murtaza Esufally, Hemas Holdings Acting CEO and Chief People Officer Ravi Jayasekara, Hemas Holdings Chairman Husein Esufally, SLIIT Vice Chancellor and CEO Prof. Lalith Gamage, SLIIT Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost Prof. Nimal Rajapakse, Humanities and Sciences Faculty Dean Dr. Malitha Wijesundara and Chief Financial Officer Niraj Muthukuda

Hemas Holdings PLC initiated a collaborative educational venture with the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) to elevate the country’s healthcare education to international standards, by providing innovative nursing and allied healthcare education through the newly established entity, The SLIIT-HEMAS Allied Health Sciences Institute (SHAHSI).

Set to open doors for a new intake in October, the venture has a combined student body of over 300 students 
and counting.

By combining Hemas Hospitals’ extensive experience in private healthcare delivery with SLIIT’s renowned reputation for quality education, the partnership will offer a comprehensive range of programmes designed to meet the growing demand for globally employable allied healthcare professionals. This collaboration marks a significant step towards addressing the critical shortage of skilled healthcare workers in the country and globally.

Designed to enhance the expertise of nurses and other healthcare professionals, the partnership will offer a robust education, bringing leading lecturers and experts in their fields to educate and train students. The initiative takes the programmes a step beyond typical educational ventures with its comprehensive industry exposure and training. The current programmes are affiliated with Deakin University, Australia and Liverpool John Moores University, UK. Additionally, the nursing programme is accredited by the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC) at NVQ Level 6.  

In response to the significant brain drain in Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector, Hemas Hospitals is committed to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals. 

Hemas Healthcare Sector Chairman Murtaza Esufally said, “By combining our expertise with SLIIT’s educational capabilities, we can create another reliable source of healthcare professionals geared for the needs of the world’s healthcare institutions to ultimately deliver better care,” he stated.

SLIIT Vice Chancellor, CEO and Professor Lalith Gamage stated, “We’re very pleased to collaborate with Hemas to bring these programs to fruition. The partnership is our means of contributing to an endeavour that achieves several goals.”