100% increase in President’s Fund payments for heart, kidney patients

Colombo, July 17 (Daily Mirror) - The government will increase the amount paid under the President's Fund for heart and kidney patients by 100% and will pay within a week of receiving the application, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.

He noted that previously, the President's Fund covered 50% for these patients, but there was a backlog of nearly 8,000 applications by August 2022 for these surgeries.

While addressing an event in Kegalle recently, he said that under the current government, steps have been taken to accelerate the process so that allowances are allocated within a week of receiving an application.

He pointed out that the present government is working to provide bursaries to 116,000 students from low-income families identified by the President's Fund and that this investment for the future generation is a positive factor in the country's progress.

Two years ago, the President's Fund took a long time to release money to people who needed help for health reasons, especially for heart surgeries. More funds should be given to help these citizens.

The Minister said it is a source of pride to provide 116,000 scholarships from the President's Fund to help children from low-income families to continue their education. These scholarships were given in a fair and transparent way. The current government's support for children's education is very positive, he added.