The Hon. (Dr.) Sandaruwan Madarasinghe

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, let me begin by noting a point from Hon. Rohini Wijerathna’s speech regarding dengue suppression assistants. The Minister already addressed steps being taken; the Hon. Member was not in the Chamber then.

¶ 02 Sri Lanka has over 1,100 hospitals including national hospitals and PMCUs, and around 560 MOH offices. With more than 110,000 staff and over 12,000 vacancies, they shoulder a vast burden—treating over 5 million inpatients and over 44 million outpatients annually.

¶ 03 This Budget allocates the highest amount in history to health—over Rs. 406,000 million. I worked four years in a hospital; I’ve seen how previous rulers dragged health down, yet today those in Opposition posture as guardian angels. In practice, patients queued overnight near temples to see clinics at dawn; doctors did private practice morning and evening, sacrificing their lives for Rs. 100 fees in the past. Even amid such sacrifices, there were frauds: the former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella imported substandard eye drops that blinded patients, and yet several MPs who backed him during the No‑Confidence are in this House—those who lectured today included. Their words do not match their deeds.

¶ 04 Look at Tangalle Hospital’s ICU building started in 2009, with names of leaders engraved—today it’s dilapidating. Contracts were given to cronies, buildings crumble. In 2019, the Health Secretary signed with a Chinese and a Malaysian company for a PACS/RIS system in 20 hospitals—despite existing systems like HHIMS/HIMS. The new project cost was US$ 35 million (later reduced to US$ 33.2 million), with interest of roughly US$ 3.36 million (later 3.05) over 11 years. Though contracts required completion in three months for 20 hospitals, by 2023 only five had partial implementation. A five‑member committee in 2022 found the project unsatisfactory overall; yet officials sought to pay for all 20 rather than the five, and proceeded with payments disregarding Cabinet and Budget Department guidance. Large portions of the file trail have gone missing. This is how they “served” health.

¶ 05 This Government is investing Rs. 13,000 million to complete or build over 40 essential hospital buildings. We are providing new CT scanners to key hospitals—Kalubowila, National Hospital Colombo, Karapitiya, Kandy, among others—and funding MRI machines for Galle, Kandy, and NHSL. Thousands await cardiac surgeries for 3–5 years, some dying before their turn—we are acting to expand capacity. Under JICA and other lines, we have allocated: - Rs. 1,600 million for a cardiac center at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, - Rs. 200 million for Ampara Hospital, - Rs. 600 million for a cardiac unit at Badulla Teaching Hospital, - Rs. 400 million for a cardiac unit at Ratnapura.

¶ 06 For oncology: - Rs. 250 million for the Kandy bone marrow transplant unit (especially for thalassemia), - Rs. 620 million to expand Kandy Teaching Hospital’s cancer facility, - Rs. 248 million for a three‑storey cancer unit at Ratnapura Teaching Hospital, - Rs. 200 million for a National Trauma Centre at Mulleriyawa Base Hospital, - Major surgical/medical ward complexes at Karapitiya, and plans for a seven‑storey paediatric ward complex.

¶ 07 Despite large investments, some staff disquiet exists. This is the first NPP Government Budget—perhaps the best for health among 2000–2024—because for the first time salaries are being openly discussed. We acknowledge more remains to be done: where feasible, we would prefer 1/60 overtime ratios over 1/80 or 1/120, and 1/120 over 1/160 or 1/200. The Government has already extended many benefits; fixating on a single parameter to dismiss the whole effort is unhelpful.

¶ 08 This Government did not fine workers’ salaries to pamper “advisers,” did not beg the IMF to suppress wage demands, and did not hawk “Dhammika Peniya” to ridicule health services. As mandated, we will reform health with our professionals—and give them due respect.

¶ 09 Thank you.