A special meeting was convened at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (07), under the patronage of Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of the Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, with the aim of swiftly resolving issues plaguing the health sector.
The areas that were discussed during the meeting were shortages of medicines and medical equipment, concerns about the quality of medicines, and challenges in the procurement process.
Attending the discussion were Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and a group of senior officials.
Extensive deliberations took place regarding various critical matters pertaining to the health sector, emphasising the need for urgent measures to address them.
Ratnayaka instructed the officials to thoroughly investigate the accuracy of media reports concerning the health sector crises. If any allegations are found to be true, he said immediate intervention and relief measures should be taken to assist the affected individuals.
“The government under President Wickremesinghe has a primary objective of ensuring an uninterrupted and accessible healthcare service to all citizens, without any compromise. This commitment reflects the government’s strong emphasis on promoting the health and well-being of the entire nation,” Ratnayake said.
Acknowledging the economic challenges faced, there have been significant delays in the payment of funds to suppliers of the Ministry of Health since the beginning of this year. In response, the Ministry of Finance has been diligently working, following the President’s instructions, to systematically settle the outstanding payments. Additionally, it was decided during the discussion to explore negotiations with international organisations to alleviate the financial difficulties faced by the Ministry of Health.
The President’s Chief of Staff stressed that any negligence on the part of the Ministry of Health resulting in harm to patients should not be excused. Instead, necessary measures should be promptly implemented to ensure the comfort and well-being of the affected patients.
