Unprecedented growth in healthcare services

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

Sri Lanka occupies a very prominent place among countries in the South Asian Region and most of other countries in the provision of healthcare services. Although Sri Lanka possesses a relatively low per capita income in comparison to other developed and developing countries, the indices used for the assessment of the quality of health services, including life expectancy and the maternal and child mortality rates indicate that Sri Lanka is always at the forefront in the health field. That was possible mainly due to policies and other activities followed by successive governments after independence for the maintenance of free health services in the country.

With the advent of the present government in 2005 under the leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa it is admirable to see the vast strides made in the health sector in all related areas. It is quite evident from the budgetary allocations since 2005-2011 how the present government had initiated different programs and continued to enhance the health and well-being of the nation amidst a number of financial constraints.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has accepted through the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ program that the government is committed to strengthen the healthcare system and ensure the delivery of free healthcare services to the needy people.

Those achievements made amidst a number of challenges have been highly praised by the international community. The government with a clear vision of the future requirements of health, has launched a number of programs under Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dekma for the development of human and physical resources of health to a specific plan and the ministry of health has taken the responsibility of implementing such programs.

The minister of health Maithreepala Sirisena has restructured the entire health ministry mechanism to provide a better health service to the nation.

Master plan

President Rajapaksa’s Government has worked according to a strategic master plan since 2005 to promote the health sector identifying relevant areas and giving priority to most vital segments of the sector. Development activities of the Health Ministry have been carried out mainly under three areas-human resources development, material development and infrastructure development.

The Rajapaksa Government since 2005 had spent huge amounts of funds for the human resource development of the health sector. The recruitment of employees for various categories has increased at an unprecedented rate amidst financial constraints.The intake of medical students to all faculties has been increased as a long-term measure to meet the future demand in consultation with the Education Ministry. Over the last few years a substantial number of doctors has been sent abroad for specialised training at Government expenditure.

More than 15,000 nurses have been recruited during the last few years and a few batches have already completed their training and posted to various hospitals in the country. An allowance of Rs. 20,000 per trainee is paid during their training period and all facilities are given to them in addition to the comprehensive training imparted on them on which the ministry is spending a large amount of money.

In addition to the doctors, and nurses various other supportive staff members such as radio-graphers pharmacists, and therapists were also recruited to meet the necessities in most of the hospitals. Setting up of new hospitals and development of existing hospitals is a major venture carried out by the Rajapaksa Government to promote the health of the nation during the last few years.

New hospital buildings, such as wards, theatres, halls, laboratories, quarters for doctors were provided. New hospitals were set up in densely populated areas to look after the health of the people.

The hospitals in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Jaffna, Badulla, and Ambalangoda are now provided with all facilities for any type of ailment and people in those areas do not have to travel anywhere for treatment. The Health Ministry has spent a colossal amount of funds to upgrade these hospitals.

Facilities

MOH offices, rural hospitals, estate hospitals, have been provided with all facilities to cater to the needs of the people of the area.

All government hospitals in the island are now geared to cater to all the medical needs of the public. Latest sophisticated modern medical equipment are supplied to all general hospitals with specialist doctors for any ailment.

A number of structural changes were recently effected by the present government in the administrative sphere of the Health Ministry to streamline the services.

Some of the hospitals which came under the purview of line ministry of the Provincial Councils, were absorbed to the central government thereby improving the standards of the hospitals. Regular progress review committee meetings are conducted with the participation of the ministers of health with Provincial Council Health Ministers to assess the progress made in discharging an effective service to the nation. The prevention of epidemics is another important area that the Ministry is working round the clock spending a large amount of funds for the benefit of the public.

The recent dengue epidemic which created havoc in the country has been curbed to a great extent with a comprehensive program of work involving all its stakeholders. It is commendable to see how a Presidential Task Force was formed with the intervention of President Rajapaksa.

Seven ministries are now working as a single unit to control the epidemic. In addition to the colossal budgetary allocations to improve the health sector by the government during the last few years, a large number of foreign funded projects had been carried out in a number of hospitals in the island.

The five-year period from 2005 to 2010 could be considered the most productive period in the improvement of health care facilities to the nation since independence.