To mark the World Oral Health Day on March 20th, the inaugural ceremony of the island-wide National Oral Health Clinic and Mobile Dental Service was held on April 2, 2026, at the Colombo Prison Complex.
The event held to benefit prison officers as well as inmates across prisons island wide, was presided over by the Honorable Minister of Health and Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
The program was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and Media and the Department of Prisons and held over two days, on April 2 and April 3, 2026. Simultaneously, steps also, were taken to roll out the series of national oral health clinic and mobile dental service in all other prisons. Today, nearly 6,000 prison officers serve under the Department of Prisons, and approximately 38,500 inmates are held within 36 prisons.The Ministry of Health together with the Department of Prisons, continuously implement these types of programs with the aim of maintaining the physical well being of the staff and inmates.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by Mr. Prasad Hemantha, Commissioner General of Prisons, Dr. Chandana Gajanayake, Deputy
Director General of the Ministry of Health and Media, senior officers and staff members from both the Department of Prisons and the Ministry of Health and Media.
