Private sector co-operation inevitable to build public health - Health Minister

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala Silva said the government very much appreciated the co-operation extended by the corporate sector establishments in the country to rebuild the public health system which was devastated in the tsunami havoc in the coastal belt of the island.

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva made these observations when he declared open four fully equipped Public Health Clinical centres in the Hambantota district constructed by the Celltel Lanka at a cost of Rs. 4.9 million each.

Celltel Lanka Ltd. had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Health Ministry to construct eleven fully equipped Public Health Centres with quarters to provide enhanced public health facilities to the tsunami affected families in the Hambantota district at a cost of Rs. 55 million. Four such centres constructed in the Tangalle and Tissamaharama electorates were declared open by the Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva accompanied by the Agricultural Development Minister Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday.

The Minister speaking at these ceremonies held to mark the opening of four centres located at Veegamuwa, Pattiyapola, Beddewewa and Kohalangala in the Tissamaharama and Tangalle electorates said that the Government would launch short term and long term development plans to implement each and every projects that has been envisaged in the Mahinda Chinthana program for the benefit of the masses.

In the area of public health, the Minister said that services of the public health midwives are inevitable and that was why the Ministry had taken the initiatives to issue Moped Bicycles to all Midwives all over the country.

The Minister distributed Moped Bikes to all 212 Midwives who are working in the ten Medical Health areas (MOH) in the entire Hambantota district. The Minister said that these mopeds would be free of charge enabling midwives to own those bikes at the end of five years based on the depreciated value.