“SL WILL SEEK MORE HELP FROM INDIA TO DEVELOP HEALTH SECTOR”
PM stresses at Indian Ambulance service launch
We will seek more assistance from India to develop the health sector. India has already assured construction of two hospitals in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka will seek more Indian assistance to develop its health sector including the indigenous medicine sector, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.
Speaking at the inauguration of the emergency pre hospital care ambulance service at the Galle Face Green in Colombo last morning the Prime Minister said Indian assistance could extend towards the indigenous medicine sector as well.
“We will seek more assistance from India to develop the health sector. India has already assured construction of two hospitals in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka will obtain dialysis machines from India.we should remember that indigenous medicine came to Sri Lanka from India. We can use India as a role model for the development of indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka and launch an Indo-lanka joint programme to develop indigenous medicine,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister said in the Sri Lankan vocabulary helping the sick is a meritorious deed.
“Therefore what we have seen today is such a deed. This meritorious deed has been performed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I asked him whether India could assist Sri Lanka to start up a pre hospital care ambulance service. He obliged immediately,” he said adding that the biggest meritorious deed according to Buddhism and Hinduism was looking after the sick.
The Prime Minister recalled that the Sri Lankan people were engaged in business with India long before the Indo-lanka trade pact came into being.“the ancient kings did not prohibit trade pacts with India. If there was a prohibition Tappasu Baluka would have not come to Sri Lanka. One should be aware of all these factors and make use of Indo Lanka relations,” he stressed. Finally he said those who criticized the pre emergency care ambulance service today would praise it in the near future. Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said unnecessary fears have been instilled in the minds of the people on the ambulance service and the proposed Economic and Technological cooperation agreement (ETCA) with India.“there was much noise when the Indo Lanka peace accord was signed but no one speaks about it today as it has not affected the country as expected.,” he said. Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Harsha De Silva called for the people’s support to make the project a success.