Thalassaemia out from Lanka by 2015 - Minister

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

'Thalassaemia will be eradicated from Sri Lanka by 2015. The government has taken steps to achieve this target, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.

Addressing World Thalassaemia Day celebrations at Kurunegala Provincial Council Auditorium recently, Minister Sirisena said that the government has launched a programme through the National Thalassaemia Centre at Kurunegala to eradicate Thalassaemia from Sri Lanka by 2015. The minister said that the Government annually spends Rs 9,000 million on the health sector while Rs 1,600 million is spent annually to provide medicine for Thalassaemia patients.

The annual expenditure on drugs provided for Thalassaemia patients is Rs 350 million. A Thalassaemia patient lives for around 20 years and the government spends Rs 10 million on one Thalassemia patient (on drugs and medical treatment) during 20 years, he said.

A very few countries have free health services. Sri Lanka is among them. The government can win all challenges in the health sector just as it won other challenges, Minister Sirisena said. First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Ministers Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and S B Nawinna were present.