Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that it is more suitable if the approved number of nurses in Sri Lanka can be increased up to 50,000 considering the current requirement.
According to Minister Senaratne at the momemnt only 31,354 nurses are in the service and there is a shortage of 6521 nurses. A total of 6817 nurses are now being trained at all Nurses training Schools located countrywide.
He was addressing the gathering after handing over appointment letters to 1300 new nurses during a ceremony held at Temple Tress in Colombo recently.
Minister Senaratne pointed out that a total of 11,933 nurses who are in the service at the moment have been allocated for Provincial Council Hospitals.
Nurses' transfers in 2013 / 2014 cannot be given due to the shortage of nurses.
A new Nursing Faculty to be built at a cost of Rs. 12,500 million and the constructions to be commenced in May.
Overtime payment for the increased salaries of nurses to be paid from January 1, 2016 and because of this decision the nurses will receive a huge salary in April enabling them to celebrate the new year Festival in a grand scale.
Rs. 5.5 Billion to be spent on this payment, he said.
Nurses, Health Ministry officials and many others were present at the occasion.
