Health budget Rs.125 b next year

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The government will allocate over Rs. 125 billion next year for the health sector.

This is the largest amount of funds allocated by any Sri Lankan government for the health sector, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.

Minister Sirisena said that the funds allocated by the government for the health sector increased by Rs. 10 billion every year since President Mahinda Rajapaksa came in to power.

Rs.110 billion was allocated for the health sector this year and it was Rs. 92 billion in 2011.

Rs. 74 billion was allocated for the health sector in 2010. In 2009 the National Health Budget was Rs. 64 million.

Sirisena pointed out that in 2011 the health budget increased with the increased drug requirement (by 35 per cent) due to extended OPD hours.

All main state hospital OPDs are now open till 8.00 pm. Earlier the OPDs kept open only from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm. Arrangments will be made to extend the OPD service of estate hospitals soon. From 2009 to 2012, the government has increased the funds allocated for the health sector development by Rs. 31 Billion.

The ministry has also commenced a special project at a cost of Rs. 10 Billion to assist small state health institutions belonging to all Provincial Councils. Rs. 180 million has already been distributed among PCs to develop rural hospitals, central dispensaries, maternity homes etc located in provinces

There are 1,047 state health institutions countrywide and only 47 of them are administrated by the Health Ministry. The rest (1,000) are run by the PCs, the minister added.