Former UPFA Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardena says that the “funeral” of Sri Lanka’s world-renowned free health service is not very far.
Speaking at a press briefing in Colombo today (6), he stated that the previous UPFA government had allocated Rs 160 billion to uplift the country’s health service.
The former Minister stated that the election manifesto of the United National Party (UNP) proposes the abolishing of free healthcare and establishing of a National Health Service Authority.
He stated that this would result in private sector companies being entrusted with importing and distributing pharmaceutical drugs.
Therefore protest movements should be launched to protect the free health service, he said.
Former MP Dullas Alahapperuma, speaking at the media briefing, claimed that state resources and state officials are being used for election activities in the South and that election laws are being violated heavily.
He alleged that around 250 employees of the Matara SLTB bus depot have been made to take leave and that around 200 of them are being used for election campaigning activities.
Alahapperuma stated that a complaint would be made to the Election Commissioner regarding this matter.
