Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2015-10-28

Development Projects to be implemented in the Health Sector

- The Government has taken steps to establish a strongly developed Public Healthcare System in the country by providing a free health service to each and every citizen regardless of their ability to pay. Almost 100% of the preventive services, 90% to 95% of inpatient care services and about 50% of the ambulatory care services are provided through the Health Care Institutes of Public Sector which are maintained from the public funds. The new government has given a high policy priority for the improvement of the health sector and it is due to allocate 3% of the Gross Domestic Product for the health sector in the year 2016 in contrast to the 1.8% of allocation made in the year 2015. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to implement number of projects pertaining to the improvement of curative care, hospital supportive systems, human resources and infrastructure development within the Mid Term Budgetary Framework 2016 - 2018, was approved by the Cabinet.