A discussion between the Hon. Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, and provincial officials led by the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, regarding the practical challenges faced by the Northern Province health service, the issues encountered by hospitals and measures to further strengthen the provincial health sector was held this morning – on Saturday 19 September 2026, at the Governor’s Secretariat.
It was explained in detail to the Minister that, among the Provincial Councils in Sri Lanka, the Northern Provincial Council administers the largest number of hospitals, while the District General Hospitals also function under the administration of the Provincial Council. In view of this, it was emphasized that, compared with other provinces, the Northern Province health sector requires a higher allocation of capital and maintenance funds.
In particular, a detailed explanation was provided regarding the inadequacy of the maintenance funds approved by the Finance Commission and the financial burden faced by the provincial health sector due to the need to maintain a large number of hospitals and their infrastructure was also highlighted.
Furthermore, the Minister was briefed in detail on the various practical difficulties arising from the provision of funds in an integrated manner as an allocation to the Provincial Department of Health, rather than providing separate allocations to individual hospitals.
In addition, the discussion focused on properly organizing and prioritizing the needs of hospitals, making fund allocations based on needs, and the practical difficulties encountered in procurement processes.
The Hon. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that discussions would be held with the Finance Commission and appropriate measures taken regarding how to address the current needs and practical challenges of the Northern Province health service, particularly on matters including obtaining additional financial allocations.
The discussion was attended by the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province, the Secretary to the Governor of the Northern Province, the Secretary of the Provincial Ministry of Health, Deputy Chief Secretary – Finance, Deputy Chief Secretary – Planning, Private Secretary to the Governor and the Coordinator to the Chairman of the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee.
