Suwaseriya Foundation among institutes assigned to new Epidemics and COVID-19 Ministry

• President amends subjects and functions gazette, making several changes
• State Health Ministry gets Social Services Dept. and Elders Secretariat
• Institutes coming under Ministry of Technology headed by President also named

The 1990 Suwaseriya Foundation, Department of Social Services and the National Council and Secretariat for Elders have been placed under the newly-appointed State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Sudharshini Fernandopulle.

Under the subjects and functions assigned to the State Ministry, it is tasked with assisting in the formulation of policies in relation to the subject of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control for the creation of a ‘Healthy Community’ under the direction and guidance of the Minister of Health.

These include implementing a joint program with all Provincial and Regional Directors of Health Services and Medical Officers of Health Offices in coordination with the Ministry of Health for the control of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.

The State Ministry’s functions also include prevention of the spread of epidemics and strengthening maternity and infant healthcare services to keep the maternal and infant mortality rate low, expansion of medical, nursing, and other allied support facilities in all regional and primary hospitals so that people in rural areas can easily access health services, and expansion of adult healthcare facilities targeting low-income earners in rural, backward, and urban areas.

The institutions that come under the Ministry of Technology headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa include the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL),  Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), Industrial Technology Institute, Sri Lanka Institute of Nano Technology Ltd., National Science and Technology Commission, all Information Technology Parks, Sri Lanka Standards Institute, Department of Registration of Persons and the Sri Lanka Institute of Biotechnology Ltd. 

An amended gazette notification on the subjects and functions of ministers and State ministers was issued by the President last week.