President wants Rs. 1.8 Bn from Covid fund used to import medicine

03 Jun, 2022

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has issued instructions to use part of the Covid fund to purchase essential medicines.

The President’s Media Division said that he has issued instructions to use Rs. 1.8 Bn from the Covid fund to import essential medicines to Sri Lanka.

Over Rs. 2 Billion has been raised by the Covid fund so far.

There was some controversy over the fund last year after information obtained through a Right to Information application revealed that only 6 percent of the funds had been utilized as of January 2021.

As at 31 January 2021 the 6 percent of the funds had been utilized for PCR testing, for quarantine facilities and advocacy programs.

Social media reacted with anger to claims that only 6 percent of the funds had been utilized, especially when there were several shortcomings in hospitals and some quarantine centers. (Colombo Gazette)

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