The centenary celebration of Sri Lanka’s Public Well being Service was held this morning (July 21) on the Bandaranaike Memorial Worldwide Convention Corridor (BMICH) in Colombo, beneath the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Sri Lanka’s Public Well being Service started with the institution of the Kalutara Nationwide Well being Unit in 1926 as the primary discipline well being unit within the South Asian area. In the present day, the Public Well being Service has developed into an intensive community comprising greater than 362 Medical Officer of Well being (MOH) divisions, with public well being groups forming the spine of the service.
Discipline officers, together with Medical Officers of Well being (MOHs), Public Well being Midwives (PHMs) and Public Well being Inspectors (PHIs), play a big function inside these groups. By establishing direct hyperlinks with communities and incomes public belief, they contribute in the direction of transformative change within the healthcare system.
On the commemorative occasion, organised by the Faculty of Neighborhood Physicians of Sri Lanka, 36 group well being skilled teams which have rendered excellent service in the direction of the development of main healthcare within the nation over the previous century had been recognised.
A number of publications had been additionally launched beneath the patronage of the President, together with a centenary commemorative publication and a White Paper outlining the long run route of Sri Lanka’s group well being service.
Addressing the gathering, Minister of Well being and Mass Media Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said that the Public Well being Service is a sector with a proud historical past, a trusted current and a promising future.
The Minister identified that interventions in maternal healthcare had enabled the nation to scale back maternal deaths from 2,500 to as little as 25. Toddler mortality, which had beforehand stood at round 200 per 1,000 reside births, had been diminished to between 5 and 6, whereas malaria had been eradicated in a rustic the place the illness had as soon as claimed 100,000 lives.
The Minister said that these achievements alone display the extent of Sri Lanka’s progress in group healthcare. He additional famous that Sri Lanka had developed its personal distinctive mannequin demonstrating how successfully a lower- and middle-income nation might advance group healthcare whereas sustaining excessive requirements of high quality.
Noting that these important achievements had been made attainable by the devoted efforts of healthcare personnel, the Minister expressed his appreciation for his or her contribution. He additionally gratefully acknowledged the immense dedication demonstrated by group well being personnel throughout all current epidemics and catastrophe conditions.
Talking on the occasion, World Well being Group Consultant Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, who’s serving because the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, identified that sustaining previous successes alone wouldn’t be enough because the nation prepares for the subsequent century. He famous that Sri Lanka’s healthcare wants are altering quickly, with new challenges rising from non-communicable ailments, an ageing inhabitants, psychological well being wants, climate-related dangers and epidemics.
Dr Pandav additional identified that non-communicable ailments are growing as a result of elements reminiscent of unhealthy dietary patterns, bodily inactivity and alcohol consumption, including that these dangers don’t happen in isolation however are formed by social, financial and environmental elements.
He additional said that the United Nations and growth companions stay dedicated to supporting Sri Lanka in making certain sustainable growth and the well-being of its individuals. Commending the proud century-long journey of the Public Well being Service, he prolonged his greatest needs for a transformative path ahead.
Addressing the gathering, Secretary to the Ministry of Well being and Mass Media, Advisor Dr Anil Jasinghe, said that the Arogya Programme launched by the current Authorities gives a transparent imaginative and prescient for the long run development of the group well being sector.
He famous that though issues had beforehand been raised over inadequate funding in group healthcare, group well being has been accorded the very best precedence beneath the Arogya Programme. He added that this displays a metamorphosis of the nation’s healthcare system, higher fairness and the environment friendly use of expertise.
Director Normal of Well being Providers Dr Asela Gunawardena, President of the Faculty of Neighborhood Physicians of Sri Lanka, Advisor Dr Vindya Kumarapeli and President of the Sarvodaya Motion, Advisor Neighborhood Doctor Dr Vinya Ariyaratne additionally addressed the gathering.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena; Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports activities Sunil Kumara Gamage; Deputy Minister of Schooling and Increased Schooling Dr Madhura Senevirathna; Ministers and Members of Parliament; Ministry Secretaries and different authorities officers; Deputy Administrators Normal of Well being Providers; Provincial Administrators of Well being Providers; Regional Administrators of Well being Providers; Secretary of the Faculty of Neighborhood Physicians of Sri Lanka Santhushya Fernando; group medication specialists and officers; and representatives of worldwide organisations, together with the World Well being Group, the United Nations and UNICEF, had been additionally current.
(President’s Media Division)
