Sri Lanka’s national health system has suffered an estimated loss of around Rs. 21 billion due to the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, according to Minister of Health and Mass Media Nalinda Jayatissa.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the ministry, Jayatissa said eight health institutions, including several hospitals, were severely damaged and will require reconstruction.

Minister Jayatissa also noted that according to World Bank, the damage to the country’s economy has been estimated to be at USD. 4.1 billion.

“According to global experiences, the initial assessment done by the World Bank only changes by about 10% in the detailed assessment,” he said. (Newswire)

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A discussion chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has broadly scrutinized the allocations made for 41 institutions under four departments of the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, as well as the progress of projects implemented accordingly. 

The meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday saw a review of the projects implemented under the 2025 budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, together with a pre-budget discussion for the year 2026.

During the discussion, the President instructed officials to focus special attention in the upcoming budget on strengthening primary healthcare services. He also reviewed the ongoing programme for developing Primary Health Centres. It was revealed that currently, one Primary Health Centre operates per 30,000 people; the plan is to improve one centre per 10,000 people.

Discussions were also held on organisational and structural reforms in the health service to match current technological and social conditions. Attention was also focused on the construction works within the health sector and the issues that have emerged there.

The meeting addressed the key issue of medical equipment procurement and considered updating procurement guidelines, including those applicable to the Ayurvedic sector. Plans to enhance the facilities of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority to ensure the quality of medicines purchased were also discussed. 

The President instructed officials to ensure that essential vehicles required for services such as the National Blood Transfusion Service are acquired within this year itself.

He further emphasised the need for transformation not only in the physical resources of the health service but also in human resources, in response to technological advancement and population growth. It was also noted that a new National Health Policy and Strategic Plan are scheduled to be launched next year.

The President pointed out the importance of effectively using foreign aid and grants to deliver the intended benefits to the people and suggested that issues arising at the provincial level be resolved through dialogue.

Attention was also drawn to ensuring the credibility of health-related donations, with a proposal to introduce a digital mechanism that confirms reliability for both donors and recipients.

It was revealed that the “Suwa Seriya” ambulance service, currently operating at 272 locations across the island, is expected to be further expanded to 400 locations.  

Plans relating to the Ministry of Mass Media were also discussed. The President stated that intervention to shape social attitudes is a responsibility of the state media. Accordingly, he instructed officials to present a plan to engage state media in this process, with allocations to be set aside for this purpose in the upcoming budget.

An extensive discussion was also held on modernising the Postal Service to suit present-day requirements. The need to transform it into a new model by integrating courier services and similar facilities with modern technology was underlined.

The President noted that the problem in the past had been insufficient budgetary allocations for necessary projects. However, in contrast, the most recent budget has allocated adequate provisions for all sectors. He stressed the importance of properly utilizing these allocations during the financial year for the intended projects so that the public receives the maximum benefits. (Newswire)

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The public has been advised to avoid direct exposure to sunlight due to the prevalent hot weather conditions in Sri Lanka. 

The Deputy Director General of Health Services, Dr. G. Wijesuriya emphasized that it was essential for children and elders to refrain from being exposed to direct sunlight. 

Dr. G. Wijesuriya further urged the public to prevent dehydration by consuming more fluids during this period. 

He also advised those engaging in outdoor activities to consume sufficient amounts of fluid and to take breaks during their activities. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka has reported a total of eleven (11) deaths due to Rabies so far this year, the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit said.

Senior Registrar of the Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana said most deaths had been caused due to the public’s lack of awareness of Rabies, a viral disease that can be spread through the bites and scratches of an infected animal.

Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana said, however, the authorities have been able to reduce the number of deaths due to Rabies by half compared to last year.

“11 deaths have been reported so far this year due to the necessary medical treatment not being followed properly. 300 state hospitals are equipped with Rabies vaccines. In case of a more severe bite, the related vaccine is also given in about 100 hospitals,” he said.

Stating that these vaccines are provided free of charge, Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana advised the public to seek immediate medical attention if bitten by a rabies-infected animal.

Providing further details on the infection, Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana said Rabies is usually transmitted by the bite of a rabies-infected animal or if an animal with rabies licks an existing wound.

He further said it can also be absorbed through the mucous membranes around the eyes, nose, mouth and genitals without injury.

Dr. Athula Liyanapathirana added that Rabies infection symptoms appear between three weeks and three months, and hospitals are providing vaccines to infected persons irrespective of the period the symptoms occurred. (Newswire)

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A project under the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government will allocate Rs. 09 billion to support the health and education sectors across all nine provinces, State Minister Janaka Wakkambura announced.

The State Minister for Provincial Councils and Local Government said the ministry is actively engaged in the project supported by the World Bank. 

“This project allocates Rs. 09 billion to enhance the health and education sectors across all nine provinces. Out of this amount, Rs. 4,500 million will be dedicated to improving healthcare services. By the end of June next year, we aim to address the health-related issues in the respective provinces,” he said.

State Minister Wakkambura also stated that the ministry is committed to providing another Rs. 4,500 million to address deficiencies in schools across these provinces. 

He added that this project is slated to commence in January and is expected to be completed within a six-month timeframe.

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), these remarks were made by State Minister Janaka Wakkambura during a press conference held at the Presidential Media Centre on Thursday (Nov 02).

Full statement of State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura;

“The use of “GIS” and “GPS Mapping” technology enables us to capture the coordinates of all the roads within local government jurisdictions, facilitating the creation of a comprehensive road inventory per the Local Government Act of 1987/No. This system has already been successfully implemented in the North Western Province. A Cabinet paper was submitted and approved on the 09th of October marking a significant step towards extending this method to cover all provinces. Remarkably, we have managed to accomplish road mapping that eluded completion for 36 years, within a relatively brief span of one and a half years.

Notably, the North Central and Northern Provinces have made substantial progress in identifying roads and mapping their coordinates. We have set a target to complete this work in these two provinces by the 31st of December this year. Subsequently, a timeline will be established for the remaining six provinces, along with training initiatives to achieve our goals in 2024.

In addition to our mapping efforts, we are actively engaged in a project supported by the World Bank through our ministry. This project allocates Rs. 09 billion to enhance the health and education sectors across all nine provinces. Out of this amount, Rs. 4,500 million will be dedicated to improving healthcare services. By the end of June next year, we aim to address the health-related issues in the respective provinces.

Furthermore, we are committed to providing another Rs. 4,500 million to address deficiencies in schools across these provinces. This project is slated to commence in January and is expected to be completed within a six-month timeframe.

Additionally, we have a plan to transition 8,400 non-permanent employees currently working in local government agencies under the provincial councils into permanent government service once the cabinet grants approval. These dedicated individuals have served for approximately 15 years. With a vacancy of 10,000 positions within the provincial councils, over 6,000 have already been designated as multi-purpose workers. By the 10th of this month, we are actively working to fill the remaining vacancies with multi-purpose development officers.

Furthermore, we anticipate the completion of software development related to the online system for assessment payments, fines and property transfers within the next two weeks. The initial phase will see the introduction of online payment methods in the Central Province and Western Province by the end of this month.

In addition, a noteworthy project is on the horizon. Under the financial support of the Korean Government, the solid waste processing and sanitary landfill project is set to commence in January 2024. This project aims to address the waste management challenges faced by the districts of Badulla and Vavuniya, as well as all local government bodies.” (NewsWire)

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A new Gazette notification has been issued extending the services of power, petroleum, and health as essential services. 

Accordingly, the Gazette has been issued by the President with the aim of preventing the interruption of services essential to maintain normal public life.

As per the Gazette, all services related to power supply, petroleum products, and fuel distribution have been declared essential services.

Services at hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare-related institutions have also been declared essential services. (NewsWire)

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