The Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Gunawardana

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity. We discuss the expenditure heads of a Ministry vital to us all. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, health is a human right—everyone should be able to access quality health services when needed, without financial hardship, within a comprehensive health system.

¶ 02 Our Ministry structures services across health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and support services. WHO rankings show Sri Lanka’s health system dropped from 76th in 2010 to 105th by 2024—there has been a decline.

¶ 03 Historically, successive Governments spent only about 1.5% of GDP on health. Our policy “A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life” pledged to raise this towards 5% of GDP. Accordingly, in the 2025 Budget, we allocated an unprecedented Rs. 604 billion to health, compared to Rs. 352 billion in 2024. With economic stabilisation gains, we are allocating Rs. 654 billion for 2026. We will spend these funds efficiently, transparently, and curb corruption to deliver a more effective system.

¶ 04 A key component is an effective health information system. We are moving to digitise patient records and data, as Sri Lanka lags in digitalisation compared to the region. The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation and related agencies have digitised core operations to improve efficiency.

¶ 05 We also initiated a primary health care (PHC) pilot this year. With an ageing population and rising non-communicable diseases, and heavy OPD use, we plan to establish PHC units for populations of 5,000–10,000, within 2–3 km of where people live, with a family doctor and team linked to the health system. Starting this year as a pilot, we will expand PHC to reduce OPD congestion and better manage chronic disease.

¶ 06 By increasing allocations year by year, and deploying them efficiently and transparently across all sectors, we aim to strengthen the health service as a fundamental right for all citizens. Thank you.