Lanka, India health ministers in bilateral meeting
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena called upon Indian Health and
Family Welfare Union Minister Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad on August 3. The two
ministers recounted the close historical and cultural ties existing
between India and Sri Lanka.
Shri Azad appreciated the progress made by Sri Lanka in public health
and achieving reduction in IMR, MMR and communicable diseases burden. He
mentioned the concrete steps being taken by India under the National
Rural Health Mission to strengthen the health infrastructure in the
rural areas, particularly in backward, inaccessible and remote districts
and said that these investments have started showing results in the form
of declining maternal and infant mortality rates now.
The recent cooperation in the health sector between India and Sri
Lanka was noted and it was agreed that this cooperation would only be
further strengthened by this bilateral meeting.
As part of its development cooperation programme with Sri Lanka, the
Indian government has supplied medical equipment for the Jaffna Teaching
Hospital in January. The Indian government is also supplying medical
equipment to two general hospitals in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu and
helping with the construction of a 150-bed base hospital in Dickoya,
which started in March.
The Lankan Government has also announced a gift of a Bhabhatron
Radiotherapy Machine to the Sri Lanka Government. The Sri-Lankan
delegation sought further assistance in medical and paramedical
personnel training.
It also sought advice and guidance in procurement procedures of
medical equipment devices and medicines (mostly generic drugs for the
public health programme) as nearly 80 percent of the supplies to Sri
Lanka comes from Indian pharma companies. Shri Azad assured full
assistance to Sri Lanka on all issues raised by the visiting delegation. |