Money has been paid to purchase the vaccines - Minister Keheliya Rambukwella: Steps taken to increase the number of beds in hospitals

November 20, 2024

political Current Affairs

Money has been paid to purchase the vaccines - Minister Keheliya Rambukwella: Steps taken to increase the number of beds in hospitals - Minister Ramesh Pathirana

May 05, 2021

Minister Ramesh Pathirana affirmed that, as the health sector and the Presidential Task Force are already taking mandatory measures to curtail the spread of the pandemic, steps have been taken to increase the number of beds in hospitals to 4000-5000 within a very short period of time and to increase the number of beds in intensive care units (ICUs) in the next few days.

The Minister said this at the cabinet decision media briefing held yesterday (04) at the Department of Government Information.

Minister Pathirana stated that a new hotline - 1906 has been introduced to provide information on COVID-19 patients who continue to remain at home and ought to be directed to
hospitals.

Furthermore, he said, the government has 345,000 doses of the vaccine given by India, yet given the current situation in India, the Sri Lankan Government's attention has been
drawn to obtaining the vaccine from other countries where the vaccine is in excess.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella further added that the government has the necessary financial means to purchase these vaccines and the money has been paid for the Sputnik V
vaccine imported from Russia and it will be available in near future.