Paying wards system to be re-implemented in govt hospitals

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his budget proposals for the fiscal year 2023, proposed to re-implement the ‘paying wards system’ in government hospitals.

As the first phase, this system will be established at national and base hospitals, the Head of State said further.

Among President Wickremesinghe’s proposals for the health and sanitation facilities was the upgrading of Badulla, Kurunegala and Polonnaruwa hospitals to the level of teaching hospitals.

He also proposed introducing a safeguard mechanism to ensure the quality of drinking water bottles. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health should take necessary action to introduce procedures to apply a safety seal (sticker) to drinking water bottles at the production point, he emphasized.