Keheliya should talk to former health ministers to formulate a health policy: SJB MP

• It will be useful if these MPs representing the ruling party and the opposition agree on a health policy

By Yohan Perera   

Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella should call for a meeting of former health ministers from both the ruling party and the opposition to come up with a new health policy, a Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP said yesterday.   

 “There are several MPs in both the  ruling party and the opposition who have held the portfolio of health minister. These include Maithripala Sirisena, Rajitha Senaratne, A. H. M. Fowzie, Tissa Attanayake, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Nimal Siripala de Silva who had held the portfolio of health minister in the past. He should also talk to MPs such as Sudarshani Fernandopulle and Seetha Arambepola who have been state ministers of health. The incumbent Health Minister should confer with these MPs and come up with a solution to the present health crisis,” SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne told journalists yesterday.   

“It will be useful if these MPs representing the ruling party and the opposition on a health policy. Government and opposition MPs have managed to agree on a policy on education and it would not be impossible to agree on a health policy,” he added. 

 
However Former SJB MP Mujibur Rahman who also attended the press conference hit hard at the Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and said the latter should reveal the prices at which emergency procurement of medicines have been made. “We understand that emergency procurement of medicine is made to fulfill urgent needs. 
However the prices should also be revealed so that people would know how much has been paid for the medicines when emergency procurements are made,” he said.