Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2019-05-21

A donation of 08 Kidney Disease Mobile Screening Ambulances

- It has been identified that there is a possibility of a considerable number of people of 13 Districts being affected as a result of the Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology which has become a major health hazard in rural Sri Lanka. It has been observed that the people affected by the disease usually get hospitalized only after 60% of the failure of their kidney functions. Nevertheless, by the early detection of the disease, there is a possibility of extending the life span of the patients by preventing the spread of the disease and the requirement for dialysis and renal transplant used as a treatment for the disease. The recommended method of treatment for the chronic kidney disease is screening for its early detection and presenting the results at that juncture itself to seek onsite treatment. In order to provide the necessary facilities for same, the Government of China has agreed to donate 08 ambulances consisting of the necessary equipment for the detection of kidney diseases. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine, to enter into an Agreement with the Government of China to obtain the said donation, was approved by the Cabinet.