The Hon. Rishad Bathiudeen

¶ 01 No, no, I have four minutes—please check correctly.

¶ 02 Hon. Minister, regarding Puttalam Hospital, our Hon. Dr. Archchuna and Hon. Faisal spoke. Yesterday, Hon. Archchuna made a serious allegation that he is being threatened for speaking about Puttalam Hospital. I know you also visited Puttalam Hospital after becoming Minister. In 2018, during the Yahapalana Government, I took Minister Rajitha Senaratne there, showed the situation, and it was said a master plan would be prepared and foreign funding arranged. Then the Easter bomb attacks occurred, and I could not follow up. The Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government did nothing. Now you are in office.

¶ 03 The people of that electorate have great expectations for this hospital. In that division, 450,000 people—about half the Puttalam District—use this hospital. Daily bed requirement is 750–800, but only 400 beds are available; around 350 patients lie on the floor. You told us you would upgrade it to a District General Hospital. Recently, when I raised it, you said you cannot just change the name board; necessary facilities must be established first. You have given over Rs. 30 billion to all Provinces; the Provincial Council will not allocate much to this hospital as they see it differently, hence its poor state—dogs roaming, many issues. If you are to make it a District General Hospital, what is the roadmap and timeline? Has any amount been allocated? In this Budget you named seven District Hospitals for funding.