A meeting between Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie J. Chung, was held this afternoon (10), at the Ministry of Health premises.
During the meeting, an in-depth discussion took place regarding the supply of medicines and the healthcare services in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The U.S. Ambassador expressed her agreement to support the supply of a certain quantity of essential medicines and surgical equipment to Sri Lanka through donations from American donors.
Furthermore, extensive discussions were held on the current status and future development of Sri Lanka’s free healthcare system and the media industry.
The Ambassador was also briefed on the short- and long-term plans being developed to control and eliminate dengue and chikungunya diseases, along with the public awareness programs being implemented to promote health safety measures and mitigate the spread of such diseases.
The Minister stated that a special program has already been launched to avoid shortages of medicines that occasionally occur in state hospitals. He also mentioned that inter-governmental discussions are underway to obtain essential medicines for the country through a structured process.
He added that work has already begun to create a new national media policy, incorporating ideas and proposals from all stakeholders in the field of mass communication for the future of the media sector in Sri Lanka.
Moreover, he said steps are being taken to establish an accredited media institution for journalists and those working in the field of mass media, and the necessary groundwork is already in progress.
The U.S. Ambassador discussed with the Minister the idea of organizing and implementing a training program for Sri Lankan journalists.
The Minister also recalled the past assistance provided by the U.S. government to develop Sri Lanka’s healthcare services.
The U.S. Ambassador stated that the United States government is committed to continuously providing all possible financial, technological, knowledge-based, and material assistance to help develop Sri Lanka’s health and mass media sectors in the future.
Officials representing both the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Health were present at this meeting.
