President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that instead of going to the hospital in case of a minor illness, a health service system should be established in the country where treatment can be obtained from home on the advice of a doctor. The President stated this while participating in a public meeting held yesterday (06).
He said that if the doctor advises to drink coriander and rest, there is no need to go to the hospital unnecessarily, and that such a system can minimize unnecessary medication and waste of medication in the health service.
He said that the current system of people going to a hospital of their choice without a doctor’s recommendation is expected to be changed and a system of referring to a higher-level hospital on the recommendation of the primary care physician is expected to be introduced, and that although the population of the country is about 22 million, 80 million medicines are obtained through outpatient departments every year.
The President pointed out that this situation is causing a huge expenditure on medicines and resources in the health service.
Accordingly, the government has planned to establish a health center system where every family has a doctor, and plans to establish 1,000 health centers across the country next year, the President said. The President also stated that the patient will be referred to a higher-level hospital only if necessary after the primary doctor determines the patient’s condition.