Minister of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne appeared before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating corruption in the current administration on September 24. He gave evidence on the acquisition of the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH) to the government.
Dr. Senaratne told the PCoI that he had presented the Cabinet with a proposal on August 31, 2019, to acquire the assets of the NFTH. The NFTH will be renamed East Colombo Teaching Hospital. The Minister said that Cabinet approved the proposal. Chairman PCoI, retired Supreme Court Judge, Upali Abeyratne instructed the Secretary PCoI to procure another copy of the Cabinet Paper from the Cabinet Secretary. Senior Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet Office Jude Nilukshan presented the said paper to the Commission on the following day (September 25.)
Chairman PCoI and other members said that, the decision to take over the hospital was an optimal one and that it should be commended. He also said that he too had used the services of the NFTH and the government must take it over following the correct procedure. The Urban Development Authority (UDA) too should be a stakeholder in the acquisition process.
In 2017, the UDA had informed the then Secretary to the Ministry of Health that the acquisition can take place through a Cabinet paper. However there were five secretaries to the ministry in the last four years. This caused some issues regarding the continuation of policies and processes. Nevertheless, between August 2017 and August 2019, 495,000 patients had obtained free health services from NFTH.
Among the 495,000 are 173 185 OPD patients, 31 888 primary care patients, 34 352 internal patients and 86 010 patients that channeled doctors. The state had only funded NFTH to continue its free health services. Earlier Hemantha Swarnathilake, Director General Finance and Accounting of the Ministry of Health had told the PCoI that the government had not funded Dr. Neville Fernando to repay the loans he had obtained.
Media release, Ministry of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine Dr. Senaratne told the PCoI that he had presented the Cabinet with a proposal on August 31, 2019, to acquire the assets of the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH). The NFTH will be renamed East Colombo Teaching Hospital. The Minister said that Cabinet approved the proposal. Chairman PCoI, retired Supreme Court Judge, Upali Abeyratne instructed the Secretary PCoI to procure another copy of the Cabinet Paper from the Cabinet Secretary. Senior Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet Office Jude Nilukshan presented the said paper to the Commission on the following day (September 25.)
Chairman PCoI and other members said that, the decision to take over the hospital was an optimal one and that it should be commended. He also said that he too had used the services of the NFTH and the government must take it over following the correct procedure. The Urban Development Authority (UDA) too should be a stakeholder in the acquisition process.
In 2017, the UDA had informed the then Secretary to the Ministry of Health that the acquisition can take place through a Cabinet paper. However there were five secretaries to the ministry in the last four years.
This caused some issues regarding the continuation of policies and processes. Nevertheless, between August 2017 and August 2019, 495,000 patients had obtained free health services from NFTH.
Among the 495,000 are 173 185 OPD patients, 31 888 primary care patients, 34 352 internal patients and 86 010 patients that channeled doctors. The state had only funded NFTH to continue its free health services. Earlier Hemantha Swarnathilake, Director General Finance and Accounting of the Ministry of Health had told the PCoI that the government had not funded Dr. Neville Fernando to repay the loans he had obtained.
Media release, Ministry of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine Dr. Senaratne told the PCoI that he had presented the Cabinet with a proposal on August 31, 2019, to acquire the assets of the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH). The NFTH will be renamed East Colombo Teaching Hospital. The Minister said that Cabinet approved the proposal. Chairman PCoI, retired Supreme Court Judge, Upali Abeyratne instructed the Secretary PCoI to procure another copy of the Cabinet Paper from the Cabinet Secretary. Senior Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet Office Jude Nilukshan presented the said paper to the Commission on the following day (September 25.)
Chairman PCoI and other members said that, the decision to take over the hospital was an optimal one and that it should be commended. He also said that he too had used the services of the NFTH and the government must take it over following the correct procedure. The Urban Development Authority (UDA) too should be a stakeholder in the acquisition process.
In 2017, the UDA had informed the then Secretary to the Ministry of Health that the acquisition can take place through a Cabinet paper. However there were five secretaries to the ministry in the last four years. This caused some issues regarding the continuation of policies and processes. Nevertheless, between August 2017 and August 2019, 495,000 patients had obtained free health services from NFTH. Among the 495,000 are 173 185 OPD patients, 31 888 primary care patients, 34 352 internal patients and 86 010 patients that channeled doctors. The state had only funded NFTH to continue its free health services. Earlier Hemantha Swarnathilake, Director General Finance and Accounting of the Ministry of Health had told the PCoI that the government had not funded Dr. Neville Fernando to repay the loans he had obtained.
Media release, Ministry of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine