New medical equipment to end 'waiting lists'

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Health Ministry will commence a public-private partnership to cut down long 'waiting lists' in state hospitals for medical tests.

There are over 5,000 patients in the 'waiting list' for angiograms, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman the Health Ministry will seek the contribution of private investors to purchase and install expensive medical equipment such as MRI scanners, CT scanners etc in state hospitals.

They will maintain the equipment after installation. The ministry will pay them for medical tests carried out using the machines. The technicians will be given by state hospitals and they will be paid by the hospitals.

The spokesman pointed out that state hospitals are unable to afford to buy modern high tech medical equipment demanded by consultants. There are long 'waiting lists' for medical tests. Sometimes state hospitals get urgent medical tests done by the private sector.

There are only three MRI scanners in the state sector. A patient from Jaffna or any other distant location has to travel to Colombo to get these expensive medical tests done. At the moment expensive medical equipment installed at state hospitals are used only during working hours (8. 00 am to 4.15 pm) but the medical equipment installed by private investors will be used 24 hours a day to cater to all patients who visit state hospitals. After commencing the public-private partnership there will be no long 'waiting lists' in state hospitals for medical tests.

The patients who are now being given dates in 2015 for angiograms, will be able to get them done early under this programme, he added.