Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, cancer is a serious health problem in our country and is a leading cause of female mortality. We cannot cope by operating just one or two treatment centers. Cancer imposes severe economic and social burdens on entire families. Therefore, in 2018, the Ministry initiated a two-phase project amounting to USD 29 million to replace Cobalt-60 machines with linear accelerators. However, Phase I encountered notable delays. Machines were provided to Jaffna, Batticaloa, Galle, Kandy, and the National Cancer Institute (Apeksha). Due to delays and rapid technology changes, we have expedited Phase I post-election.

¶ 02 Under Phase II, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, and Badulla hospitals will be covered. We expect to complete replacements and provide services within about eight months. Owing to delays, patients in Anuradhapura and Badulla have faced difficulties for months; we are minimizing this by referring patients to Apeksha while completing the remaining phase. The agreement for Phase II was signed yesterday.