• Estimated cost of High Flow Nasal Oxygen Machines is Rs.1.2Mn

By Kelum Bandara   

The government has sought the assistance of the NGOs and INGOs to obtain high flow oxygen therapy machines to meet the increasing demand for them to treat COVID-19 patients, an official said.   

The NGOs have been directed to channel financial allocations for the purchase of such units to be used for the benefit for COVID- 19 patients needing emergency treatment. Director-General of NGO Secretariat Raja Gunaratne told Daily Mirror that he made the request in writing to all the heads of the NGOs and INGOs operating in Sri Lanka. He said Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa informed him of the urgent need of such machines for the government hospitals. The Director-General, in his letter, stressed that the INGOs and all local voluntary social service organisations also had a bigger role to play at a critical moment like this.

• There is an urgent need for such machines at government hospitals