Sri Lanka willing to initiate SAARC Medical University

Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne says that he fully supports the suggestion with regard to establishing a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Medical University and he is willing to initiate setting it up in Sri Lanka. 

Speaking during the 6th Meeting of the SAARC Ministers of Health in Colombo today (29), the minsiter said that he is very interested about the idea put forward by the SAARC Secretary General for a SAARC Medical University.

“If the SAARC ministers are ready, I will actually initiate to have it in Sri Lanka. It’s a very good idea.”  

He also stated that whilst communicable diseases are the main burden in the region, noteworthy is non-communicable diseases which are escalating rapidly. 

“Our health systems are undoubtedly challenged with this double burden to provide appropriate healthcare putting emphasis on the risk factors that need to be addressed.” 

Dr Senaratne said that there is much to do through policy intervention and this is indeed an area which Sri Lanka is keen to share its progress as well as the challenges that we faced.