376
Health and Media Minister Dr.Nalinda Jayatissa clarifying a a speech he made at an event at the National Cancer Hospital, yesterday said he did not refuse any donation made by the public to the cancer hospital and only wanted to emphasis the need to do all health sector related development activities systematically.
He was responding to a question by a journalist at a media conference held at the Government Information Department yesterday regarding the speech made by the Minister at the opening of the Pediatric Bone marrow transplant unit of the National Cancer Hospital established with the financial assistance of the Ruhuna Maha Katharagama Devalaya.
The Minister said that certain media has reported only a part of the speech made by him and in his speech he appreciated the donations made by the Katharagama Devalaya and the assistance provided by the Sri Lanka Air force.
“The bone marrow transplant unit is a much needed requirement of the hospital and measures will be taken to further enhance the facilities of the unit. In my speech I did not refuse any donation made by the public to the cancer hospital and only wanted to emphasise the need to do all health sector related development activities systematically,” he said.
Minister Jayatissa further outlined the government’s intention to streamline contributions from local philanthropists and international organizations to ensure their effective utilisation.
He stressed that donations will no longer be accepted for political or personal agendas.
“While these contributions are often made with good intentions, they can create challenges for the government in the long run,” the Minister said.
Minister Jayatissa cited examples of hospitals constructed through donations that later faced critical shortages of doctors and equipment, resulting in public dissatisfaction and protests. He also highlighted instances where politicians have advocated for local hospitals to be upgraded to general hospital standards, despite such upgrades not aligning with national healthcare priorities.The new approach aims to avoid such inefficiencies by integrating donations into the broader framework of the national development plan.
“Our goal is to ensure that donations are systematically utilised to enhance healthcare services for all citizens,” he added. The move is expected to improve coordination and ensure that resources are allocated to areas of genuine need, supporting the government’s long-term healthcare objectives.
Ishara Mudugamuwa
