News
GMOA wants Health Ministry officials to get cracking with 2023 budget allocation to end severe drug shortage
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Health Ministry officials must take steps to use Rs 321 billion allocated for health by the 2023 budget to solve the severe drug shortage, Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge told The Island yesterday.The GMOA Secretary said that there were many weaknesses in the procurement of medical supplies and these need to be addressed immediately.
“The process is also too complicated and there is a great deal of corruption in the sector,” said Dr. Aluthge.
There had been an attempt to expand the post graduate training opportunities for doctors with the 2023 budget, Dr. Aluthge said. “Postgraduate training is now available at the Colombo University. The budget proposes such programmes in Peradeniya, Ruhuna and Jaffna universities. This is a positive development as this will update the knowledge of doctors and develop their skills,” he said.
Dr. Aluthge said that the government was planning to establish another institution to determine the quality of degrees. A similar proposal was brought in when President Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister of the Yahapalanaya government, he said.
“A lot of people, including the GMOA opposed this because this would have an adverse effect on the work done by the University Grants Commission and the existing mechanisms that gauge the quality of university degrees. We are keeping a close tab on this proposal and will oppose this proposal if it affects the quality of degrees,” he said.
Dr. Aluthge said that the budget had proposed to establish the paying ward system in government hospitals. “This is a strange proposal given that some hospitals including the Colombo National Hospital, already have this,” he said.
“However, the proposal to establish paying wards at Base Hospitals is suspicious. This might be a step-in privatising healthcare and will affect healthcare provided to the poorest segments of the population,” he said.
The GMOA Secretary said that they had been highlighting the high prevalence of malnutrition. The government has allocated Rs. 500 million to address this problem. “We must now ensure that the money is used properly. We must identify those who are the most in need and ensure that there is no corruption here.”
Dr. Aluthge said that the government was attempting to increase the tax revenue and given the crisis faced by the country, this is a necessity. However, some of the proposals to boost tax income are arbitrary and counter-productive.
“This has caused anger and fear among many professionals. This might also lead to more professionals leaving the country. We have already called for amending what, we think, are unfair revisions to tax policy. We believe that taxes must be collected and funds raised therefrom spent in a transparent manner.
Dr. Aluthge said that over the years a number of positive proposals had been made in budgets, but they had not been implemented.
“There are some welcome proposals. There are some bad ones as well. We fear that while the worst proposals are implemented, the good ones will be ignored. We will work with all concerned parties to ensure that the quality of the health services is maintained and defeat any attempt to privatise healthcare.”
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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