President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emphasized that the government’s aim is to transform Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector beyond mere reforms and elevate it to internationally recognised standards of quality.

The President said the present government is prepared to allocate the necessary funding to achieve this objective while participating in a pre-Budget discussion on the Ministry of Health and Mass Media held at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting reviewed the progress of projects implemented under the 2026 Budget allocations and discussed proposals for the 2027 Budget, the President’s Media Division said in a statement.

During the discussion, President Dissanayake instructed officials to place greater focus on strengthening primary healthcare services, including the programme to establish ‘Arogya Suwa Seva Centres’.

He also directed officials to submit scientifically based strategic proposals without delay to improve the quality of healthcare services in the country.

Special attention was given to the technological transformation of the hospital system, with the President noting that advanced technological facilities accessible to people island-wide would significantly enhance healthcare quality.

He said modernising the state healthcare system would enable hospitals to provide efficient and standardised services while reducing the financial burden on people seeking treatment from private healthcare providers, according to the PMD.

Discussions also focused on strengthening the Suwa Seriya ambulance service and ensuring hospitals acquire internationally compliant, fully equipped high-technology ambulances.

The meeting was informed that 26 large-scale healthcare construction projects suspended due to previous restrictions on capital expenditure have now recommenced. These include the five-storey building complex at the Monaragala District Hospital and Emergency Treatment Units at hospitals in Trincomalee, Ampara and Chilaw. A total of 48 healthcare construction projects are currently underway.

Officials also discussed the use of technology to improve pharmaceutical procurement processes, strengthen medicine quality testing facilities and ensure an uninterrupted supply of medicines to hospitals.

Progress on digital healthcare initiatives, including the Patient Health App, telemedicine services and the proposed National Electronic Health Record system, was also reviewed.

The meeting further considered a comprehensive review of the healthcare workforce, issues faced by newly appointed doctors, and recruitment matters related to healthcare personnel.

In addition, discussions covered media sector initiatives, including journalist training programmes, school media societies and a proposal to establish a dedicated media operations centre, the PMD added.