Navy extends hyperbaric oxygen therapy to civil community

The Sri Lanka Navy provided hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to a child on medical recommendation, using the specialised hyperbaric facility at the Navy Diving Unit in the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee.

Following a stem cell transplant performed on an eight year old child suffering from Acquired Cerebral Palsy, and in response to a request made by the child's parent, the administration of this specialized hyperbaric medical treatment commenced on 5 September 2026, under the supervision of medical officers qualified in diving medicine. The child has been prescribed thirty (30) sessions, each lasting 60 minutes at 1.8 ATA (Atmospheres Absolute), and treatment is being provided to him.

Using its Re-Compression Chamber (RCC), established in 1990 at the Navy Diving Unit within the Trincomalee Naval Dockyard, the Navy provides Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), a treatment already administered to a large number of local and foreign divers. All operational activities of this RCC are carried out by naval personnel specialized in diving medicine.

HBOT is a specialized treatment method in which a patient breathes 100% pure oxygen within a specially designed chamber, thereby supplying an increased amount of oxygen to the body. This facility, which is not limited to divers alone, is also capable of providing HBOT treatment, upon medical recommendation, for several other medical conditions. They include non-healing wounds and diabetic foot ulcers, tissue damage following cancer radiotherapy, at-risk skin and tissue grafts, severe burns, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Furthermore, this HBOT facility, which has been maintained for nearly 36 years since 1990, has now become an important service, providing specialized treatment not only to divers but also to civilians in need, backed by the specialized training, knowledge, and experience of the Navy Diving Unit.