20,000 free heart operations through special programme

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

Social Services and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lionel Premasiri has made arrangements for 20,000 heart operations free of charge through a special programme to be launched on September 28.

This programme is to be jointly implemented by the State and private sectors to cut down the long waiting lists for heart surgeries which consists of over 30,000 at the moment.

The programme will reduce the burden on President’s Fund, Coordinating Secretary to the Minister, Supun Ratnayake said. Ratnayake said there are about 30,000 needy heart patients at present on the long waiting lists in State hospitals and some of them have to wait for over one or two years to reach the date given to them to have free surgery.

Rich patients have their heart surgeries at private hospitals spending over Rs.500,000 or more.

The programme will be sponsored by the Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare, Private Health Regulatory Council of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry, Nawaloka Heart Centre, Punarjeewa (Mrs. Soma Edirisinghe Fund).

This is a humanitarian project launched with the contribution of the Private sector to assist needy patients. Over 25 leading private companies are contributing towards this project.

All contributions will be tax free.

According to Ratnayake every year around 50,000 heart patients in Sri Lanka require heart surgeries and this number goes up rapidly.

The sedentary life style, fast food and several other factors have contributed to this situation. Under the project needy heart patients will be able to have surgery done from selected private hospitals free of charge.