SL gets Yen 800mn Japanese grant to fight COVID-19

Finance, Economic and Policy Development Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle and Ambassador of Government of Japan Sugiyama Akira exchange notes pertaining to the grant

The government of Japan has agreed to provide a grant of Yen 800 million (Rs.1,360 million) to Sri Lanka to support the country’s fight against COVID-19.

The grant under the Japanese non-project grant aid scheme will be utilised for the provisioning of the necessary medical equipment such as MRI scanners, CT scanners, bedside X-ray systems, central monitors, bedside monitors and defibrillators, etc. to strengthen the COVID-19 preventing activities in Sri Lanka.

The Exchange of Notes pertaining to the grant were signed by Finance, Economic and Policy Development Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka and Ambassador of Government of Japan Sugiyama Akira, yesterday, at the Finance, Economic and Policy Development Ministry.

Responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Sri Lanka has taken several successful measures to prevent the mass spread of the virus among the community. 

Though the country has achieved significant progress in preventing the disease, the health system in Sri Lanka needs more facilities to maintain the day-to-day activities within the country, up to the state before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Therefore, the health authorities at the moment are establishing the required additional units in the main hospitals with the necessary equipment and human resources.