Electricity supply and healthcare declared essential services

A special gazette notification has declared the supply of electricity and provision of healthcare as essential services.

The communiqué was issued on Friday (Feb. 11) by Secretary to the Head of State Gamini Senarath, on the directives of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Thereby, electricity supply and provision of healthcare have been identified as essential services for the conduct of ordinary public life.

As per the gazette notification, “the supply of electricity” and “all service, work or labour, of any description whatsoever, necessary or required to be done in connection with the maintenance, and the reception, care feeding, and treatment, of patients in hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries, and other similar institution” will now be considered essential services.