• Unspent allocations pertain to medicines/equipment procurement, capital/infrastructure works, maternal/child health and nutrition, infectious/non-infectious diseases control
• External funding utilisation faces a worse situation

The Health Ministry has utilised only a fraction of the funds allocated for several key areas of public healthcare as of 30 May of this year (2025), according to figures released under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, No. 12 of 2016.

The information had been provided by the Ministry's Chief Financial Officer, G.S. Karunaratne following a request submitted by the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors organisation.

According to the Ministry data, two allocations were made for the procurement of medicines. Of the Rs. 180.3 billion allocated under one component, only 19% had been spent by the end of May, while only 17% of a separate Rs. 3.5 billion allocation had been utilised.

Spending on medical equipment has also remained low. Only 12% of the Rs. 13.325 billion set aside for the purchase of bio-engineering equipment had been used.

The Ministry recorded similar under-utilisation in its capital works, with just 16% of the Rs. 1.325 billion allocated for the construction of new buildings being spent.

In addition, only 5% of the Rs. one billion allocated for maternal and child health and nutrition programmes had been used.

The RTI response further shows that expenditure under the infectious diseases control programmes remains almost negligible. Of the Rs. 114.5 million allocated under one component, the Ministry had spent only 0.27%, while a separate allocation of Rs. 95 million had no recorded expenditure.

Two allocations also appear under non-infectious diseases control. Of the Rs. 416 million allocated under one component, only 3.13% had been spent, and of a separate Rs. 100 million allocation, just 1% had been utilised.

External funding programmes show the same pattern. The Ministry had used only 8.26% of the Rs. 9.2585 billion available under Asian Development Bank funding, while the Primary Health Service Fund, which received Rs. 12.19 billion, recorded zero expenditure as of 30 May.

Attempts to contact the Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni and the Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe proved futile.

The disclosure comes amid ongoing allegations that Government institutions have repeatedly failed to utilise their annual Budgetary allocations.