Hon. (Dr.) S. Sri Bavanandarajah

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the time.

¶ 02 The President has allocated a significant share—about 12% of expenditure—to strengthen free healthcare and ensure quality services. I thank the President and the Hon. Minister of Health.

¶ 03 From the Secretary to the Ministry to hospital staff, their continuous dedication has delivered high-quality outcomes with minimal per capita spending and limited workforce—about 1.12 doctors and 2.4 nurses/midwives per 1,000 population—placing Sri Lanka at the forefront of regional health indices. I thank them. Thanks to the work of 1,164 hospitals and 335 MOH areas, diseases like polio, malaria, neonatal tetanus, and rubella have been eliminated, and childhood immunisation is near 100%.

¶ 04 We must further strengthen over 550 Primary Medical Care units and advance primary health care. In Jaffna District (including the Teaching Hospital) there are 45 hospitals and 14 MOH areas; in Kilinochchi, 4 hospitals and 11 MOH areas. They served with commitment during war, COVID-19, and the economic crisis.

¶ 05 Rural hospitals have some facilities but lack human resources, forcing patients to travel long distances. We should cluster hospitals, share resources, and staff them adequately to serve rural communities.

¶ 06 At Jaffna Teaching Hospital, the dilapidated maternity building was demolished nearly 15 years ago. A new building plan has been ready for over 12 years; about Rs. 500 million was allocated some years back, but no construction has begun. We need to construct the new maternity, cardiac, and other critical units—seeking foreign support if needed. The Hon. Minister has assured action.

¶ 07 Stray dogs in Kattankudy and Jaffna District are a serious issue. Last year 12,489 dog-bite cases were recorded with four deaths; urgent action is needed.

¶ 08 At Kilinochchi Hospital, a Netherlands-funded women-and-child subfertility building lacks equipment, specialists, and nurses. It must be staffed and operationalised. In Vavuniya, a cath lab exists but lacks specialists and trained nurses; we will rectify this.

¶ 09 We will scientifically evaluate and upgrade Jaffna Teaching Hospital to become Sri Lanka’s fourth National Hospital, and elevate Tellippalai Cancer Hospital as a specialised hospital for the Northern Province.

¶ 10 The Minister plans to visit the North this month; we will facilitate resolution of local issues. The Lanka Siddha Ayurveda College in Jaffna, over a century old, is closed; we will work to reopen it to support traditional medicine.

¶ 11 Thank you.