Shot in the arm for WP health service

Milton Dharamasinghe, Bulathsinhala special corr.

KALUTARA: Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine of Western Province, Prasanna Ranatunga said that steps would be taken to improve all Base Hospitals, other health centres and small hospitals in the Western Province to provide maximum service to the people.

Provincial journalists would be appointed as members to Hospital Committees in hospitals in Western Province in future, he said.

The Minister was addressing a conference of Provincial Media Persons of Kalutara district at Kalutara District Secretariat organised by Ministry of Health, WP on media reporting for satisfactory health services recently.

Minister Ranatunga also said that the Colombo National Hospital has become congested as patients from suburbs visit this hospital due to lack of facilities in their areas.

Therefore, while improving the services of all Base Hospitals in the province, small hospitals, dispensaries and health centres would also be developed to provide satisfactory services to rural masses.

Pimbura Hospital would be upgraded to a Base Hospital to raise the health services in the province. Services rendered by provincial media persons were commendable and their reporting should be true and correct.

Director of Health Services Western Province Dr. H. R. U. Indrasiri said that in improving Health Sector, the support given by journalists were of great use and before they write they should contact officers and obtain correct information. Wrong reporting might bring great damages to the Health Sector as well as they would mislead the public.

For their convenience, following the advice of Minister of Health, WP all the provincial media persons were issued a special identity card to enter any hospital in WP and consult responsible persons to get informations.

Indika Jayaratne SLBC News Section, Indika Marasinghe SL Rupavahini News Section, Dr. Thusitha Malalasekera, Buddhadasa Jayawardhana, Health Education Officer Dhewa Sri Kariyawasam, Editor Lanka Newspaper, Dr. Arul Dissanayaka and Director of Health, Kalutara also spoke.