(UTV | COLOMBO) – Responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Sri Lanka has taken several successful preventive measures to prevent the mass spread of virus among the community. Though the country has achieved significant progress in preventing disease, the health system in Sri Lanka needs more facilities to maintain the day-to-day activities within the country up to the state before the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore the required additional units in main hospitals with necessary equipment and human resources are being established by health authorities.
Accordingly, as per the request of Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Japan has agreed to provide Japanese Yen 800 million (approx. LKR 1,360 million) grant aid under the Japanese non-project grant aid scheme for the provisioning of necessary medical equipment such as MRI Scanner, CT scanner, Bed Side X-Ray Systems, Central Monitors, Bedside Monitors and Defibrillators etc. to strengthen the COVID -19 preventing activities in Sri Lanka.
The Exchange of Notes pertaining to the above grant were signed by Mr. S. R. Attygalle, Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Economic and Policy Development on behalf of the GOSL and His Excellency Mr. Sugiyama Akira, Ambassador of Government of Japan on 8th July 2020 at the Ministry of Finance, Economic and Policy Development.