The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the proposal to take necessary steps to acquire services and equipment to diagnose non-communicable diseases under the suitable public-private partnership (PPP) subject to a performance based payment scheme.

The demand for obtaining higher-level services to diagnose diseases has been increasing within the public health system in Sri Lanka due to the growth of non-communicable diseases and comprehensive services at all levels of care.

However, when obtaining reports from key equipment such as CT scanners, MRI scanners, DSA, cardiac catheterization units, and automated hematology and biochemistry analyzers, it has been observed that such patients have encountered immense difficulties due to a lack of equal opportunities for them.

Accordingly, due to the limited resources available to obtain respective reports at government hospitals, it has been observed that there have been delays in clinical management with such patients having to wait on long waiting lists.

Furthermore, taking into consideration the financial limitations existing for purchasing such equipment and the complex procurement procedures that must be followed for the purchase and maintenance of such equipment, the need to resort to alternative methods for obtaining such reports has been identified, the Department of Government Information noted.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to take necessary steps to acquire such services and equipment to diagnose relevant diseases, following the prescribed procurement procedure under the suitable public-private partnership subject to a performance based payment scheme.