Ministry of Health (Sri Lanka)

Ministry of Health

සෞඛ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය சுகாதார அமைச்சு
Ministry overview
Formed	1931; 93 years ago (1931)
Jurisdiction	Government of Sri Lanka
Headquarters	385 Ven. Baddegama Wimalawansa Thero Mawatha, Maradana, Colombo 6°55′12.40″N 79°51′54.60″E / 6.9201111°N 79.8651667°E / 6.9201111; 79.8651667
Employees	150,273 (2020)[1]
Annual budget	LKR 322 billion (2023)[2] (4.1% of GDP)
Minister responsible	Hon. Ramesh Pathirana[3], Minister of Health
Ministry executive	Major General Dr Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Health Secretary
Child agencies	List Ayurvedic Medical Council Department of Ayurveda Department of Health Services Medical Research Institute National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol National Health Council National Health Development Fund National Institute of Health Science National Institute of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Private Medical Institute Council Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation Sri Lanka Medical Council Sri Lanka Thriposha Limited State Pharmaceuticals Corporation State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation
Website	health.gov.lk
Map
Location in Colombo District

The Ministry of Health^[4] (Sinhala: සෞඛ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය, romanized: Saukhya Amāthyānshaya; Tamil: சுகாதார அமைச்சு, romanized: Cukātāra Amaiccu) is the central government ministry of Sri Lanka responsible for health. The ministry is responsible for formulating and implementing national policy on health, nutrition, indigenous medicine and other subjects which come under its purview.^[5]

Provincial councils are constitutionally responsible for operating the majority of the Sri Lanka's public hospitals but some, known as line ministry hospitals, come under the direct control of the central government in Colombo. As of 2016 there were 47 line ministry hospitals (including all of the country's teaching hospitals), accounting for 47% (36,000) of all public hospital beds in the country.^[6]

The current Minister of Health is Ramesh Pathirana.^[3] The Current Secretary is Dr Palitha Maheepala.