Doctors for closed hospitals

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The Health Ministry will resume treating patients at 77 government hospitals which had been kept closed due to the non-availability of doctors after providing sufficient medical officers.

The Health Ministry was able to provide doctors to 20 of the 97 hospitals which had been closed for years due to the lack of doctors. Action has now been taken to provide doctors to the remaining 77 hospitals, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.

The minister was addressing the Provincial Health Ministers' conference at the National Blood Centre on June 23 participated by provincial health ministers, secretaries and directors, officers from all departments of the Health Ministry and Finance Ministry.

According to Health Ministry sources, five hospitals in the North Central Province, three in the Central Province, five in Wayamba, 14 in the Eastern Province, 46 in the North, two in Uva and two in the Southern Province have been closed due to the lack of doctors, of which vacancies are to be filled.