May 11, Colombo (LNW): The Government has moved to strengthen the administration and delivery of public health services by appointing a group of Members of Parliament as District Health Coordinating Officers across the country, according to the Ministry of Health.
The appointments were approved following the submission of a Cabinet proposal by Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, aimed at improving coordination between national and provincial health institutions while addressing district-specific healthcare priorities more effectively.
Under the new mechanism, the appointed MPs will act as key coordinating figures within their respective districts, helping authorities identify urgent healthcare requirements through greater public engagement and community consultation. The initiative is also expected to support the integration of local health concerns into broader national and provincial development plans.
Officials stated that the officers will be tasked with improving communication between the Health Ministry and regional health authorities, monitoring the progress of ongoing healthcare projects, and ensuring that development initiatives are implemented in line with national policy objectives. They will also play a role in identifying priority infrastructure and service projects requiring government support and funding.
The Ministry noted that the programme is intended to enhance efficiency in the allocation of resources and accelerate the completion of healthcare-related projects, particularly in underserved areas facing shortages in facilities and medical services.
The following Members of Parliament have been appointed as District Health Coordinating Officers for their respective districts:
- Anuradhapura – Susantha Kumara Navaratne
- Badulla – Ravindra Bandara
- Batticaloa – Kandasamy Prabhu
- Colombo – Dr. Najith Indika
- Digamadulla/Ampara – M.M. Sugath Rathnayake
- Galle – Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera
- Gampaha – Dharmapriya Wijesinghe
- Hambantota – Dr. Sandaruwan Madarasinghe
- Jaffna – Dr. S. Sribhavanandarajah
- Kegalle – R.M. Samantha Ranasinghe
- Kalutara – Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe
- Kandy – Thanura Dissanayake
- Kurunegala – Dr. Jagath Gunawardena
- Matale – Deepthi Niranjani Wasalage
- Matara – Lal Premanath
- Monaragala – H.M. Sarath Kumara
- Nuwara Eliya – T. Manjula Suraweeraarachchi
- Polonnaruwa – Padmasiri Bandara
- Puttalam – Gayan Janaka
- Ratnapura – Dr. Janaka Senaratne
- Trincomalee – Roshan Akmeemana
- Vanni – Selvathambi Thilakanathan