50 estate hospitals under Health Ministry

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has made arrangements to take over another 50 estate hospitals by next year.

The ministry has already taken over 20 estate hospitals to upgrade health facilities of the estate community, a Ministry spokesman said.

He said under a special Cabinet decision, 20 estate hospitals in Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Badulla, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts have already been taken over by the ministry and 50 more will be taken over by next year. The Ministry will also take over the primary health care services of the estate sector. The main objective of this is to upgrade healthcare services in the estate sector.

Statistics reveal that there are about one million people living in the estate sector. Their health status is lower than people in other parts of Sri Lanka. Under the Mahinda Chinthanaya, it is decided that the central Government should be directly involved to upgrade the health condition of the estate sector community.

The Ministry will recruit 199 Tamil speaking female family health workers, 42 pharmacists and 92 PHIs by early next year. Steps will be taken to recruit more MBBS doctors to estate hospitals. Arrangements will also be made to improve the knowledge of healthcare staff in estate sector healthcare institutions.

More funds have been allocated in this year's budget to uplift estate sector healthcare facilities. The Ministry has planned to upgrade almost all healthcare facilities in the estate sector using these funds. The Ministry will also make arrangements to provide clean drinking water and other facilities.