Sri Lanka the best in healthcare in Asia

The latest survey on healthcare delivery in Sri Lanka has found that Sri Lanka holds the record of having the lowest maternal deaths in South Asia.

The report on the survey conducted on ‘Emergency, Obstetrics and NeoNatal Care’ was handed over to the Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena by Ministry Secretary Dr. Niha Jayatilaka. The countrywide survey was carried out by a team of doctors belonging to the Family Health Bureau was aimed at further improving the Neo Natal and Post Natal Care, Obstetrics and Childcare.

According to the report some 350,000 births occur

I have no doubt that we can achieve this as we have a highly qualified and dedicated medical team

annually of whom about nine in every 1,000 die at birth which is the lowest in Asia. The maternal deaths were only 37 in every 100,000 births which is also the lowest in Asia.

Minister Sirisena said the Government hoped to reduce the ratio of deaths at birth to five in every 1,000 and maternal deaths to 25 in the next two years.

“I have no doubt that we can achieve this as we have a highly qualified and dedicated medical team. If we are able to do that Sri Lanka will be on par with Japan or any other developed country in the world. We cannot be contended by only becoming the best in Asia,” the minister said.

The survey was carried out by Doctors Lalani Rajapaksa, Lakshman Senanayaka, Chandani Galwaduge, Dahmmika Rowel, Nilmini Hemachandra and Padmal Silva.