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World Bank provides USD 15m to improve primary health

care
A press conference was held at the Sri Lanka Foundation
Institute on 28th July 2020 to inform the current status of
the Primary Health Care System Strengthening Project
funded by the World Bank.

Senior Communication Officer of the Primary Health Care

System Strengthening Project, Janaka Suneth Bandara said
“The World Bank has decided to release the next $ 15
million for our project now in progress in Sri Lanka”.

Bandara further stated, “the decision had been announced during a recent progress review
meeting at the Health Ministry with the participation of Senior Health Specialist at the World
Bank’s Colombo Office”.“A World Bank team toured the country recently to inspect the
progress of the project and observed that it has met the targets set so far. Hence, it was decided
to release the funds” he said.

He added, “The Primary Health Care System Strengthening Project will improve 63 state
hospitals and other state health institutions by the end of 2020 under the guidance of the Health
Ministry”. Addressing the press Bandara informed “our program is gradually achieving its
target”.

World Bank sources said “the objective of the project is to improve the quality of primary
health care services, with emphasis on detection and management of non-communicable
diseases in high-risk population groups, in selected areas in the country”.

The chief funding officer of the project J.K Perera stated “this is going to be a great opportunity
to improve the quality of health care system during the Covid 19 pandemic”. The Senior
Communication Officer of the project, agreed with the chief funding officer, saying “certainly
we are in need of establishing a proper healthcare system now more than ever”.

The Minister of Health expressed her gratitude saying “Sri Lanka is in need of help and we
are grateful to the World Bank for extending hands in time of needs” also she added “this
initiative will open new doors to strengthen our relationship with the World Bank”