Government appoints 1,100 new nurses

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The people of Sri Lanka dealt a resounding slap to the persons, groups and certain media which ridiculed the health service for partisan politics during the Presidential Election, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said.

Addressing the gathering at the National Youth Services Centre, Maharagama after handing over appointment letters to 1,100 newly recruited nurses, Minister De Silva said that the Government spent over Rs.4,000 for one pint of blood before giving it to a patient and scan patients free of charge.

But in the private sector, sometimes one scan report costs over Rs. 30,000.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has been able to provide a free and quality healthcare service to the public because the Government has placed health sector third in its priority list.

With the recruitment of 15,000 nurses to the State sector the nurses shortage has been reduced by 99 percent.

All the nurses who served for four years and requested for transfers have already been granted transfers to places of their choice. But still some of them are trying to obtain the closest duty station to their homes.

It is unreasonable because the ministry granted them the area they demanded. If they don't report to their duty stations, their transfers will be cancelled, the Minister said.

There is no need to appoint special nurses, doctors and other health staff any longer to Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka because now they are just another part of Sri Lanka.

The areas are safer to serve more than any other parts of the country and have all modern facilities. Therefore health staff do not need to worry over serving in the North and East, the Minister added.