Govt. in revenue crisis to finance health sector

• The Health Ministry is in urgent need of Rs.68 billion ,particularly to purchase pharmaceuticals for the use of hospital patients

By Kelum Bandara   

The government is in a revenue crisis to finance the health service which is already hamstrung by the lack of funds and the dearth of human resources, Daily Mirror learns.  
The Health Ministry is in urgent need of Rs.68 billion, particularly to purchase pharmaceuticals for the use of hospital patients .  

Asked for a comment on the crisis., Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said he held talks with State Minister Shehan Semasinghe last week to look into financial allocations. The Minister said the Finance Ministry agreed to release the required amount but would phase it out for the remainder of the year.

The government has decided to prioritize the health sector in terms of financial allocations after payment of salaries to public servants and pensions for the retired.  

Asked about the use of funding facility available under the Indian Line of Credit to import pharmaceuticals, he said it was a long process .  

“However , over 70 percent of our suppliers even under the normal procedure are from India . We are now moving forward to manufacture pharmaceuticals locally as much as possible ,” he said.   Commenting on the shortage of medical professionals , he said it was triggered by the migration of doctors in the backdrop of the economic crisis .  
“We will work out a mechanism to reverse the trend in consultation with all concerned including the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA),” he said.

• The government has decided to prioritize the health sector in terms of financial allocations after payment of salaries to public servants and pensions for the retired