Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said that the demand for eye lenses has risen by 61,000 due to the availability of free eye lenses for patients who undergo eye surgeries at state hospitals.
He said this after inaugurating several development projects completed at Ratnapura General Hospital at a cost of Rs. 300 million.
Minister Senaratne said that 89,000 eye lenses were imported to Sri Lanka in order to provide free eye lenses for patients and now the demand has gone up to 150,000 eye lenses.
Minister Senaratne also said that new state medical faculties will be set up for Moratuwa and Sabaragamuwa universities.
The number of medical students recruited for Karapitiya Medical faculty will increase to 300 from 150. The demand for doctors will incerase by three times in the future, the Minister said.
‘We have already received funds to invest on another new hospital in Sri Lanka. Medical tourism will be introduced to Sri Lanka soon. All university students will be given hostels by 2018’, he had said.