No free medicine

26 August 2010 07:56 am

By Sandun A. Jayasekera


The government has decided to suspend offering free treatment to patients admitted to State hospitals over alcohol related ailments from next year. The decision was taken by Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena to discourage alcoholism and to minimize alcohol related diseases as non-communicable diseases are on the rise.

“We have taken a policy decision to charge patients who get treatment at government healthcare institutions for diseases related to alcoholism. The studies conducted by my ministry reveal that a majority of patients come to hospitals to get treatment for non-communicable diseases are alcoholics and who fallen ill due to alcoholism” Minister Sirisena said.