News
Rajitha lays foundation for emergency unit at Batti hospital
Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne laid the foundation stone for a new Accident and Emergency unit at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital in a ceremony yesterday, along with the partners of the project.
Minister Rajitha Senaratne examining the new facilities at the Batticaloa General Hospital. M. Ibralebbe, Director of the Hospital is also in the picture.
The Minister also declared open the new Cancer unit of the Teaching Hospital and a newly constructed administrative building, on behalf of President Maithripala Sirisena, who was slotted to attend the function.
The Accident and Emergency unit is estimated to cost Rs. 820 million (inclusive of the building and equipment). Construction is expected to begin in two weeks and will be completed at the end of 2016.
The Accident and Emergency Unit is supported through a public-private sector partnership facilitated by the Foundation Supporting a National Trauma Service (an Australian initiative) and the Government of Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Senaratne highlighted the activities carried out by the Health Ministry in 2015. He discussed the anti-tobacco drug policy implemented early this year and the Drug Policy Act passed in March 2015.
The Minister stated that the Drug Regulatory Authority formed in July, is in the process of drafting its regulations.
Emphasizing that as some drug companies sell with a profit as high as 3-4,000 per cent, the regulations are intended to provide financial relief to consumers.
The Minister also commented on the newly installed software and processes implemented as an antidote to the medicine shortages faced previously.
The newly implemented process is aimed at ensuring the monitoring of excesses and scarcity of drugs in hospitals island wide to guarantee that immediate remedial steps are taken.
Plans are also underway to make sure that government hospitals are supplied with equipment such as auto-analyzers to ensure that medical tests are done in-house, instead of being sourced to private hospitals.