State provision for healthcare insufficient

Given the ever-expanding elderly population and with the changing demographics, there is a need for better quality healthcare, which is going to be critical in time to come, said UNP Chief Economist and MP Dr. Harsha de Silva.

Noting that the Budget allocation for State provision of healthcare does not seem to be sufficient, he said there is a thriving private healthcare system in Sri Lanka and one of the world’s most successful mobile applications is e-channelling, which goes to show the usage it has, with people consulting doctors from all over the island and coming to Colombo for treatment.

“The Government needs to consider a number of things, including the provision of healthcare providers. Then comes the question of private medical universities and so on. All are connected. It has to be a comprehensive answer. The only way forward is public-private partnerships in healthcare, under an efficient regulator,” he asserted.