Food items supply suspended:

Indoor patients in A’pura hospital inconvenienced

Nimal Wijesinghe, A’puara Additional district group corr.

The indoor patients at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital have been greatly inconvenienced due to the contractor supplying food items to the hospital has suspended all supplies from last Saturday. For non-settlement of overdue payments.

It is understood that nearly Rs. 10 million was due to him for the services offered by the particular contractor, has not been settled having delayed it for months and the contractor has stopped supplying food items over this dispute.

Dr. Gamini Samarawickrama who is acting for hospital’s Acting Director Dr. H.A. Karunatilake who was away said that foods to the patients in wards were not being provided since last Saturday evening as normal.

Temporary arrangements have been made to supply food as much as possible through the hospital canteen. However according to the doctor, specially prescribed diets to the diabetes and kidney patients are not being provided under the circumstances.

Dr. Gamini Samarawickrama further said that Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Athula Kahandaliyanage has been appraised of the prevailing situation and a ministerial team of top ranking officials was due to arrive to settle the crisis.