Local

‘Healthcare is not just a service. It is a social necessity’ - PM Harini

Sunday, 06 July 2025 - 9:27 pm

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that healthcare is not just a service but a social necessity, and that good regulation, like good gove ance, is ultimately about protecting and promoting that social necessity.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the Centenary Celebration of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) held on Saturday, July 5, at the Bandaranaike Memorial Inte ational Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.

In alignment with the 100-year celebration, a commemorative stamp was officially released during the ceremony, the Prime Minister’s Media Division said in a statement. 

Furthermore, during her speech, the Prime Minister urged a focus on ensuring that medical education produces more humane, empathetic, and ethical practitioners.

 “I congratulate the Sri Lanka Medical Council on reaching this historic milestone. The gove ment is proud to stand with you today and in the years to come,” she added.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister further stated:

“This is not just a celebration of 100 years of service to the public, to the medical profession, and to our country.

In the case of medicine, this responsibility becomes even more critical because here, we are dealing with life itself. Despite severe challenges, Sri Lanka has been able to maintain trust in the health system, as was evidenced during the COVID pandemic.

As the Minister of Education, I want to urge you to consider how we can ensure that our medical education produces more humane, empathetic, and ethical practitioners. I congratulate the Sri Lanka Medical Council on reaching this historic milestone. The gove ment is proud to stand with you today and in the years to come.”

Minister of Health and Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa also attended the event and, while addressing the gathering, he added that this is a time of profound transformation in healthcare. He noted that as society moves toward universal health coverage, digitised care, genomic medicine, and cross-border service delivery, regulation must keep pace.

Health Minister also emphasized that the Ministry of Health considers the SLMC a key partner, not only in regulating the medical profession but also in shaping the future of healthcare delivery in Sri Lanka.

Speaking further he said, “We live in a time of profound transformation in healthcare. The old certainties are giving way to new complexities. As we move toward universal health coverage, digitised care, genomic medicine, and cross-border service delivery, regulation must keep pace. The SLMC is not immune to these pressures it is, in fact, at the centre of them.

The Ministry of Health considers the SLMC a key partner, not only in regulating the medical profession but also in shaping the direction of healthcare delivery in Sri Lanka. Over the years, we have worked together on matters of licensing, education standards, continuing professional development, ethical oversight, and health workforce planning. These are not minor tasks—they go to the very heart of how we ensure quality, safety, and accountability in the health services we provide to our citizens.”

The event was attended by ambassadors, the Atto ey General, Justices of the Supreme Court, members of the Sri Lanka Medical Council, and other dignitaries.