The Health Ministry of Sri Lanka has determined that a sum of Rs. 67 billion is a pre-requisite to replace expired medical equipment, Daily Mirror learns.

According to informed sources, the lifetime of the medical equipment has expired since 2019.

The equipment, which include CT scans, MRI scans, linear accelerators, ventilators, and anaesthetic machines, have not been replaced since 2019 due to a lack of funds and the prioritization of certain medical equipment during the pandemic.

Repairing and replacing medical equipment in the government hospital system requires at least Rs 30 billion per year. However, the Health Ministry has been facing a shortage of funds due to the pandemic and subsequent economic crisis.

Moreover, the Health Ministry has conveyed this to the Finance Ministry in the form of a proposal.

In response, the Finance Ministry has pledged to provide a portion of the funds, with the remainder to be allocated in the upcoming budget. 

Health Ministry struggles to replace expired medical equipment