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Primary health care reforms will drive a major transformation- Minister

Published

9 months ago

2025/07/29

Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa in conversation with Public Health Nursing Officers after the conclusion of the event. (Pic courtesy the Health Ministry)

Aiming to deliver higher‑quality, more efficient primary health services nationwide, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, on Saturday (26), briefed Public Health Nursing Officers (PHNOs) on the proposed Primary Care Community Centre (PCCC) project, which will cover the entire country. Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa chaired the session at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute auditorium.

The Ministry’s Primary Healthcare Unit organised the training session.

Under the programme, the Government will establish one PCCC for roughly 10,000 people. In the first phase, it plans to set up 2,000 centres across the island over the next three years. The Ministry plans to establish 100 centres within this year. Each centre will initially operate with an eight‑member staff.

Addressing the workshop, the Minister said the initiative is essential to lift the standards of the country’s health services. He noted that, to date, policymakers have focused largely on secondary and tertiary hospital development, and that politics once favoured building multi‑storey hospital blocks over strengthening primary care. He stressed that Sri Lanka must move beyond that approach and, over the next three years, implement this new programme.

The Minister added that politicians in the past sought to bring large hospitals to their constituencies and push those facilities up the grading ladder. He said the present Government will not upgrade hospitals to satisfy political demands; it will prioritise public needs and take decisions based on national requirements. He emphasised that qualitative and quantitative transformation must be citizen‑centred rather than institution‑centred.

He observed that, although the Ministry implemented various projects over the past eight years to improve primary care, those efforts fell short because they were run through institutions that served overly large populations, undermining impact. He said the new model will assign each centre to a defined population and that funding will come from the Treasury, international organisations and private donors. Sri Lanka requires about 2,000 primary care units, he said, and the Government will deliver them within three years, choosing locations that the public already frequents and finds accessible.

The Minister expressed confidence that the programme will become a major transformation and a strong foundation for the health system. He said its success will depend more on human resources than on physical assets and technology. Highlighting the ageing population, rising mental‑health needs and increasing suicides, he said health staff must manage these challenges proactively. He added that directing the public to seek primary treatment at these centres will reduce congestion at secondary and tertiary hospitals.

The Minister said the Government will prioritise PHNOs and provide facilities in stages. He pledged swift solutions to other service issues and, to address transport constraints, said the Ministry will provide motorcycles within the first three months of next year along with a transport allowance.

The centres will deliver a wide range of primary services, including: non‑communicable disease care; basic surgical care; elder care; rehabilitation; palliative care; primary eye care; oral health; mental‑health services; nutrition services; substance and alcohol rehabilitation; adolescent and youth health; selected laboratory tests; and community empowerment programmes.

More than 200 PHNOs attached to District Health Services Directorates attended the workshop. They briefed the Minister on challenges faced in field duties, human‑resource development, implementation of training programmes, shortcomings in promotion procedures, pay and allowances, the need to upgrade technical services, transport issues and improving job satisfaction.

Deputy Directors‑General Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe and Dr. Arjuna Tilakaratne, and Director (Primary Health) Dr. Sarathchandra Kumarawansa were also present.

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Maldivian President plants a sapling to mark 60 years of Sri Lanka–Maldives Diplomatic Relations

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a State Visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, planted a sapling this afternoon (04) at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Upon arrival at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu was warmly received by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Children lined both sides of the pathway holding the national flags of the two countries and paid tribute to the visiting Maldivian President.

Among those present at the occasion were Deputy Speaker Rizvi Salih, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath and the Mayor of Colombo, Vraie Cally Balthazaar, along with several other dignitaries.

[President’s Media Division (PMD)]

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Sri Lanka and Maldives strengthen ties with productive bilateral talks

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

Following the bilateral meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives, who is currently on a State visit to Sri Lanka, official-level bilateral discussions between the delegations of the two countries were held this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The discussions commenced after the formal welcome ceremony accorded to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu earlier this morning within the Presidential Secretariat premises.

Extending a warm welcome to the Maldivian President, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed his appreciation for accepting the invitation to visit Sri Lanka.

President Dissanayake noted that President Muizzu’s visit, taking place as the two nations mark 61 years of diplomatic relations, reflects the strong partnership, mutual trust and longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The President further expressed confidence that the visit would mark a new phase in bilateral relations.

The two leaders engaged in extensive discussions on ways to further expand and diversify multifaceted cooperation, including economic, cultural and social ties, in a manner that delivers mutual benefits to the people of both countries.

Key areas of focus included tourism promotion, educational cooperation, youth and sports development, challenges faced by both nations in the fisheries sector within the Indian Ocean region, education and vocational training, as well as defence training and broader security cooperation.

Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Science and Technology, Krishantha Abeysena; Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired), Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (covering Europe, North America, East Asia and Oceania, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Legal Affairs) M. R. K. Lenagala, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the Maldives, Mohamed Rizvi Hassan and Director (South Asia and SAARC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Mahesha Jayawardena.

The Maldivian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources, Ahmed Shiyam, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan, Chief of Staff to the President, Abdulla Fayaz, Principal Secretary to the President on Foreign Relations, Mohamed Naseer; Chief Government Spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, High Commissioner of the Maldives to Sri Lanka,Masood Imad; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chief of Protocol , Mohamed Shahudy, Deputy Minister at the President’s Office, Mr Mohamed Hassaan and Minister Counsellor at the Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ismail Mamdhooh.

[President’s Media Division (PMD)]

News

Maldives and Sri Lanka exchange seven MOUs

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

Seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signed across several sectors between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, were formally exchanged this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat in the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives.

Marking a new chapter in Maldives–Sri Lanka relations, the MoUs cover cooperation in the fields of health, sports, tourism, education and defence.

Accordingly:

1. MoU on Tourism Cooperation between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

2. MoU on Archiving Cooperation between the Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka and the National Archives of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

3. MoU on Training and Professional Development of Teachers and School Leaders between the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development of the Maldives and the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

4. MoU on Sports and Youth Development Cooperation between the Republic of Maldives and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.

5. MoU on Defence Cooperation between the National Counter Terrorism Centre of the Maldives and the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired).

6. MoU between the Ministry of Defence and National Service of the Maldives and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara.

7. MoU on Academic Cooperation between the University of Colombo of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake.

The state visit of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, undertaken at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, aims to further strengthen economic, cultural and social ties between the two countries, while enhancing their multifaceted partnership.

Cabinet Ministers, government officials and members of the Maldivian delegation, representing both Sri Lanka and the Maldives, were present at the occasion.

[President’s Media Division]