By the time I became the Health Minister in 2015, there was only one Accident Ward in Sri Lanka, which was in the Colombo General Hospital. Now there are 22 accident wards islandwide, Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.
He said the work of some of the accident wards are about to be completed. In addition to Sri Lanka, only Cuba has one of the world’s best health services.
Speaking at a press conference at Temple Trees yesterday afternoon, he said by the time he became the Health Minister, there was only one children’s hospital in the country and now there are eight. Prior to 2015, there were only two maternity hospitals and now there are over 10, including in Jaffna. There was only one cancer hospital at that time for the entire country, but now there are 12. There were only 66 blood banks in the country, and now there are 214 modern blood banks in the country.
According to Minister Senaratne, only five leg transplants had taken place in the world, but four of them were unsuccessful. Only here in Sri Lanka, the leg transplant was successful. The heart transplant surgery was a success and the lady who got a new heart leads a healthy and happy life today. She and her family’s requirements are met by the Health Ministry.
Cochlear implant surgery costing Rs.3.6 million is now available for low-income deaf children. Bone marrow transplant surgery is available without charge. Earlier, only rich children survived by getting that surgery done abroad, while poor children died without the required surgery and medical treatment, he said.
Minister Senaratne said organ transplant surgeries were limited in the country before 2015 and only 40 kidney surgeries had been done, but in 2017, 400 kidney transplant surgeries and 70 liver transplant surgeries were performed, of which 95 percent were successful. The pancreas can now be transplanted in Sri Lanka. For some patients, more than one transplant surgery is performed.
The Wold Bank has granted US$ 300 million to improve the health sector after observing the significant progress made by Sri Lanka, during the past four years. So far, over one million people have benefitted from the Suwa Seriya ambulance service. A total of 450 new ambulances will be provided for state hospitals shortly, the minister said.
Spot cash has given to all state hospital directors to face emergencies. Each Hospital Director has been given Rs.10 million as spot cash and the NHSL Director has been given Rs.500 million as spot cash, the minister said.
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