Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne will present a cabinet paper requesting to allow ambulances to travel through expressways for free, Health Ministry spokesman said.
The spokesman said that currently, health workers transport patients in critical conditions by their own expense.
When transferring patients in critical conditions to the Colombo National Hospital, ambulance drivers use expressways, the spokesman said.
The issue was brought to the Health Minister’s notice while he paid a visit to the Puttalam Base Hospital for an inspection.
During the visit the Health Minister has ordered health authorities to transfer additional nurses from Kurunegala district to the Puttalam Base Hospital in order to end the shortage, the sources said.