Ousting govt. only way to solve country’s problems – Women for Rights

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP-led Women for Rights (WfR), on Saturday, asked people how many more patients would have to die in hospitals for them to realise that the only way to resolve the prevailing crisis in the country’s health sector was to oust the incumbent regime.

Addressing the media at the JVP head office, the Chairperson of WfR, Saroja Savithri Paulraj, said the government, while allocating around 200 billion rupees for the health sector, set aside a thousand times more funds from the national budget to ensure that politicians lived in luxury. “The allocation for the health sector is only a meagre sum in comparison to the amount of funds allocated for the maintenance of the President, his staff, and offices.

The ministers did not listen to the health experts’ warnings that the country’s health sector is in danger and more funds should be allocated from the budget. Instead, they got their health insurance enhanced. The media reported on Friday that 971,888 women and children suffered from malnutrition. Doctors are leaving the country because this is fast becoming a place where they cannot practise their profession. In the meantime, crooks in the health sector have allowed their crony companies to fleece the public. The State Pharmaceutical Corporation has recently purchased inhalers overpaying Rs 90 million. It could have bought an inhaler at Rs 15, but spent as much as Rs 705 thereon.

They line up their pockets in such deals. The end result is either we do not have medicine or have substandard medicine. That is the reason for the increase in the number of patients dying in hospitals,” she said.