Patients to nearby hospitals for CT scanning - Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva

Uditha KUMARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told Parliament yesterday that the Government has already taken steps to refer patients to nearby hospitals after the CT scan machines of the Colombo National Hospital have gone out of action.

The Minister said that the Government has already provided CT scan machines to Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital and the Lady Ridgeway Hospital. “It is too expensive to provide CT scan machines to all hospitals in the country,” he said.

“Even in an advanced country like UK this facility has not been provided to all hospitals,” he pointed out.

Minister de Silva said two CT scan machines of the Colombo National Hospital have gone out of action at the moment. They are expected to be repaired shortly by their agents in Sri Lanka.

Responding to a question raised by JVP MP, Lakshman Nipunaarachchi, the Minister said in the event of their failure to honour the agreement we have signed with them, we will be rather constrained to impose a penalty.