Staying well in Sri Lanka: hospitals, gyms, yoga and Ayurveda

About Staying well in Sri Lanka: hospitals, gyms, yoga and Ayurveda

By the ULTIMATE Sri Lanka Editorial Team

Site Editor: Tara de la Motte

A practical guide to health and wellbeing on the island: the numbers to save, the hospitals in Colombo, Kandy and Galle, pharmacies, gyms that welcome visitors, and the yoga and Ayurveda retreats.

Numbers to save

Sri Lanka’s ambulance service is 1990 Suwa Seriya. It launched in July 2016 in the Western and Southern provinces, now covers the whole island with close to 300 ambulances based at police stations, and is free to use; the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority lists it as the ambulance number for visitors. There is also a 1990 app for Android and iOS that sends your location. For the police, call 119. For tourism problems and questions, the Tourism Development Authority runs a hotline on 1912.

Hospitals

Colombo has the best-equipped hospitals in the country. The private hospitals, such as Asiri, Lanka Hospitals, Nawaloka, Durdans, Kings and Hemas, are where most visitors go: they have accident and emergency units, English is widely spoken, and they will usually ask for payment or an insurance guarantee before treatment. The state National Hospital of Sri Lanka, founded in 1864, is the country’s largest. Outside the capital, the National Hospital in Kandy and the Galle National Hospital at Karapitiya are the main hospitals of the hill country and the south.

Save 1990 in your phone before you need it: it is the island-wide ambulance service, and it costs nothing to call.

Travel insurance with medical cover and evacuation is essential. Keep the policy number and the insurer’s emergency line with your passport.

Pharmacies

Pharmacies are easy to find in towns. The state-run Rajya Osu Sala chain of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation has branches across the country, and the large private hospitals have their own pharmacies. Bring enough of any prescription medicine for your trip, in its original packaging, with a copy of the prescription.

Keeping fit

Colombo has proper gyms. Fitness First Sri Lanka has several branches, including one on Maitland Crescent in Colombo 7 with a pool, and CrossFit Ceylon in Colombo 2 welcomes visiting athletes for drop-in classes and open gym, with a second box at Ahangama on the south coast. Many hotels have their own gyms for guests. Early morning is the coolest time for a run or walk, and Galle Face Green and Viharamahadevi Park give you open space to do it.

Yoga and Ayurveda

Sri Lanka has yoga and Ayurveda retreats for every taste. Choose by setting and style: Ulpotha is a traditional farming village without electricity that hosts yoga retreats for part of the year; Talalla Retreat and Sen Wellness Sanctuary are beside the sea on the south coast; Barberyn, Siddhalepa and Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions are resorts built around Ayurveda programmes, usually starting with a consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor. Ayurvedic doctors in Sri Lanka are registered with the Ayurvedic Medical Council, so it is reasonable to ask about qualifications.

We describe what these places offer, not health results. Talk to your own doctor before starting any treatment programme, especially if you take medication or are pregnant.

Our advice: save 1990 and 119 in your phone on arrival, buy travel insurance with medical cover, carry your medicines in their packaging, and if you want a wellness stay, choose it for the setting and the daily rhythm, and ask plenty of questions before you book.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Staying well in Sri Lanka: hospitals, gyms, yoga and Ayurveda before you go.