The main Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) questioned the Government’s fund management in the public health sector, adding that the current state of the sector does not reflect the effective management of funds.

Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council’s Opposition Leader Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa expressed these remarks while speaking to the media yesterday (24).

Noting that despite the Government’s promises to allocate approximately Rs. 160 billion to provide medicines and to ensure that there will not be a medicines shortage, he added that the public health sector is facing numerous issues. He claimed that while a number of hospitals are facing a medicines and equipment shortage, this has disrupted the stable provision of services. He further said that the prices of antibiotics have drastically gone up.

“It seems as if the Government is not taking measures to protect free public healthcare in the country,” Dr. Sanjeewa opined, claiming that the Government has expressed doubts about maintaining healthcare completely free of charge and that it is unprecedented. He said that although the national health policy states that facilities should be available for a citizen to obtain healthcare irrespective of financial disparities, the Health Ministry has failed to fulfill this policy which may have adverse impacts on the sector.