Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has requested the Secretary to the Ministry to submit an evaluation report on the distribution of medical equipment and human resources among government hospitals, Parliament sources said yesterday.

There was an excess of doctors in some hospitals and there was a shortage of doctors in some rural hospitals, the Minister said at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Health.

The government was taking over the Base Hospitals to improve the quality of health care, the Minister said, adding that the takeover of subjects under the Provincial Councils by the government was problematic owing to the 13th Amendment.

The Health Minister said that it was appropriate to investigate and submit a report to the Cabinet in that regard.

SLPP Hambantota District MP Dr. Upul Galappaththi pointed out the need to follow a common policy in increasing salaries as there had been a wave of strikes in the health sector.

The Committee paid special attention to the fact that a large number of drugs had been imported during the last few years.

State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana pointed out that excess of drugs had been imported into the country in some years. He said a national information system as regards drugs would be launched and all hospitals in the country connected to it.

SLPP Galle District MP Geetha Kumarasinghe said there were many shortcomings in the Elpitiya Base Hospital and action should be taken to rectify them.

Although the Polonnaruwa Kidney Hospital had been opened, it was not fully functional due to a shortage of staff, the Committee observed.

Colombo District SLPP MP Madhura Withanage also raised an issue regarding the non-inclusion of the information about certain vaccinated persons in the active database.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Health informed the Committee that steps would be taken to resolve that situation expeditiously.

The number of calls received by the 1990 Suwa Sariya Ambulance Service as of midnight yesterday was forty-six million thirty-three thousand, said Colombo District SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva. He pointed out that Rs. 1,800 million had been allocated for the service for the year 2022, but the amount was not enough.

The Minister of Health informed the Committee that discussions were underway with the relevant parties to increase the amount by at least another Rs. 1,200 million as requested by MP Dr. de Silva.

It was also revealed at the meeting that 719 Ayurveda medical graduates remained unemployed.

State Minister Sisira Jayakody said that there was a plan to open Ayurveda dispensaries locally and give them appointments.

More than 20 Ministers, State Ministers and Members of Parliament were present at the Committee meeting. A number of officials representing the health sector attended the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Health.