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Health Minister tells WHO saving lives and protecting the population has become Sri Lanka’s highest priority

Published

4 years ago

2021/09/8

Saving lives and protecting the population has become Sri Lanka’s highest priority, says Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

Addressing the 74th conference of the WHO’s South East Asia Region via zoom technology, the Minister said that the government was doing its best to contain the pandemic through a combination of proven public health and social measures and accelerated Covid-19 vaccination, especially for the priority and vulnerable population.

The text of Minister Rambukwella’s address: Sri Lanka would like to congratulate Dr. Poonam Singh, the Regional Director, for the excellent and comprehensive report on our collective work in improving health and well-being in the region.

My sincere thanks go to the Regional Director for the strong support of the WHO extended to my country at all times, and especially during this challenging time. Many of our public health achievements in the past years have been achieved in partnership and with the strong technical guidance of the WHO.

In 2020, our health system has been put to the test by the COVID-19 pandemic and impacted severely on the economy. Despite this, Sri Lanka has made important strides. Our response was swift, coordinated and guided by the Sri Lanka Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. At the same time, we were able to sustain the delivery of essential health services through innovative approaches – medicine delivery through postal services, outdoor mobile clinics in lockdown areas, reorientation of family planning services, mental health drugs delivery and services at the community level, among others.

Sri Lanka with the support of the WHO has leveraged the power of digital technology to train and mentor health staff through virtual platforms such as the NCD Learning Hub and learning management system linking more than 40 training institutions and to conduct meetings with peripheral health authorities. In addition, an innovative platform for real-time monitoring of Covid-19 using a mobile App was developed for health staff and the public.

To ensure access to quality and affordable medicines, the regulatory capacity of National Medicine Regulatory Authority is further enhanced through the implementation of an institutional development plan and benchmarking as well as development of National Medicines Policy 2020-2025.

Similar to the trend in the region, we are experiencing this year, the highest reported number of cases and deaths so far, with the spread of the Delta variant. We are doing our best to contain it through a combination of proven public health and social measures and accelerated Covid-19 vaccination, especially for the priority and vulnerable population – As of 5th September, we have vaccinated over 20 years 85.87% of the population with one dose and 61.94% with both doses.

For Sri Lanka, saving lives and protecting our population is our highest priority. We highly appreciate your tireless efforts for fair and equitable access to vaccines through the COVAX facility; and for the life-saving medical equipment and supplies. We highly value the strong and continuous support from the WHO Country office, South East Asia Regional Office and the WHO Headquarters, in responding to the demands of the pandemic and in ‘building back better’ the Sri Lankan health system towards achieving the goal of universal health coverage.

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Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in northern waters

Published

13 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 01 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 11 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan of Kareinagar, Jaffna.

The Northern Naval Command spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, naval craft of the Northern Naval Command were deployed to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters off Kovilan.

Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by naval personnel resulted in the seizure of one Indian fishing boat and apprehension of 11 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

The seized boat (01) and Indian fishermen (11) were handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.

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Tri-Forces donate LKR. 372 million, a day’s pay of all ranks to ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

19 hours ago

2026/01/3

Priyan

Members of all ranks from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force have collectively donated a day’s basic salary to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, which was established to restore livelihoods and rebuild the country following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

Accordingly, the total contribution made by the Tri-Forces amounts to LKR. 372,776,918.28.

The cheques representing the financial contributions were handed over on Wednesday (31 December) at the Presidential Secretariat to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.

The donations comprised LKR. 250 million from the Commander of the Army, Major General Lasantha Rodrigo; LKR. 73,963,879.71 from the Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda and LKR. 48,813,038.97 from the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.

Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, was also present on the occasion.

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CEB demands 11.57 percent power tariff hike in first quarter

Published

21 hours ago

2026/01/3

Thilina Walpola

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has submitted a proposal to the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) seeking an 11.57 percent increase in electricity tariffs for the first quarter of 2026, citing an estimated revenue shortfall and additional financial pressures, including cyclone-related damages.

According to documents issued by the PUCSL, the proposed tariff revision would apply to electricity consumption from January to March 2026 and includes changes to both energy charges and fixed monthly charges across all consumer categories, including domestic, religious, industrial, commercial and other users.

Under the proposal, domestic electricity consumers would face increases in unit rates as well as fixed monthly charges across all consumption blocks.

The CEB has estimated a deficit of Rs. 13,094 million for the first quarter of 2026, which it says necessitates the proposed 11.57 per cent tariff hike. The utility has noted that any deviation from this estimate whether a surplus or a shortfall will be adjusted through the Bulk Supply Tariff Adjustment (BSTA) mechanism and taken into account in the next tariff revision.

In its submission, the CEB said the proposed revision is aimed at ensuring the financial and operational stability of the power sector and mitigating potential risks to the reliability of electricity supply. The board-approved tariff structure for the first quarter of 2026 has been submitted to the PUCSL for approval and subsequent implementation, as outlined in Annex II of the proposal.

The CEB has also highlighted the financial impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which it said caused extensive damage to electricity infrastructure, with total losses estimated at around Rs. 20 billion. Of this amount, Rs. 7,016.52 million has been attributed to the first quarter of 2026, which the utility said has a direct bearing on electricity tariffs.

The CEB warned that if external funding is not secured to cover the cyclone-related expenditure, the costs incurred would need to be recovered through electricity tariffs in the second-quarter revision of 2026.

Meanwhile, the PUCSL has said that a decision on whether to approve the proposed tariff increase will be made only after following due regulatory procedures and holding discussions on the matter.

By Sujeewa Thathsara ✍️