The Government will spend Rs. 100 Billion for health services this year and another Rs. 8 Billion will be received as foreign assistance for the Health Sector.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Health Maithreepala Sirisena addressing a media conference in Colombo, yesterday.
The Minister said that the theme of the health services this year is “to rescue the people from liquor and tobacco and safeguard them from non-communicable diseases.” He said several programmes will be implemented this year to prevent the spread of diseases.
Under these programmes, carrying out mosquito control activities uninterruptedly will be given priority as Dengue has become a major threat to the people of this country. Also a dengue prevention week has been declared from 16th to 22nd of this month and a concerted effort will be made to eradicate mosquito breeding areas and to take legal action against those who neglect cleaning up of their premises thus contribute to mosquito breeding, the Minister emphasised.
The Minister also said that a Bill to establish National Drugs Control Authority will be submitted to Parliament within the next two months. He said that steps will also be taken this year to export Triposha and nutritional programmes.
Another programme to be implemented this year, the Minister said, is computerization of the distribution of drugs. He said this measure will eliminate drug shortages in various hospitals.