Introduction
As a Provincial team in health care delivery, we are strongly committed to the fundamental rights of every human being to the accessibility of the highest attainable standard of health care without any racial, geographical, gender or any other inequality. Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. To make the above definition realistic, facilitation of multi-sectoral and inter-sectoral activities with appropriate skill development for promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health care have been promoted by the provincial health authorities. The provincial health demand is supplied by both allopathic, ayurvedic and indigenous systems. Qualified medical practitioners engage in services through both public and private health care delivery. The government sector plays a major role in providing services with regard to western medicine, especially in remote areas
Background of the Department of Health
Goal
Holistic and integrated health care services with multi-sectoral approach for maximum client satisfaction in the Sabaragamuwa Province.
Vision
Create physically, mentally and socially healthy people in the Sabaragamuwa Province
Mission
To carry out the administration, supervision and coordination of the health related institutions in a systematic and effective manner to provide a complete prevention and treatment services to the people of the Sabaragamuwa Province
Objectives
01.Providing free and equal basic health facilities to all citizens.
01.Providing free and equal basic health facilities to all citizens.
02.Creating a friendly and pleasant environment for patients by reorientation of health system with all the necessary and modern technology to meet the broad health needs and objectives.
03.Providing quality health care through effective and sustainable technological potential and innovation.
04.Improvement in efficacy of government health institutions by management of equipment utilization and proper financial management.
05.Maintain a safe, efficient and responsive Para-medical service in cooperation with national and local needs.
06.Development of human resources to cater current health need conditions by best skill mix.
07.Minimize mortality and morbidity from non-communicable diseases by strengthening health promotion, prevention, curative services and rehabilitation.
08.Ensuring the maternal and fetal well-being and safety during pregnancy and post-partum period as well as ensure well-being of neonates, infants, children, adolescents, youth, adults and elderly through quality care and services.
09.Strengthening of National Immunization Program, a program for eradication of communicable diseases while addressing provincial endemics such as Dengue and Leptospirosis, preparation for disasters and immerging diseases.
Values and guiding principles
Holistic (Fostering physical, mental, social and spiritual health)
Equitable (Guided by a concern for equity and social justice)
Disciplinary (Ability to control oneself and always keep the obedience)
Participatory (Involving all concerned at all stages of the process)
Intersectional (Involving the collaboration of agencies from relevant sectors)
Empowering (Enabling individuals and communities to assume more power over the personal, socioeconomic and environmental factors that affect their health)
Sustainable (Bringing about changes that individuals and communities can maintain once initial funding has ended)
Multi-strategy (Using a variety of approaches including policy development, organizational change and community development)
Mutual respect (Care for each other through thoughts and feelings)
Humanity (We are bound with great compassion to serve the people)
Health care organizational structure
The Provincial department of health services, Sabaragamuwa province functions under the Provincial Health Ministry. At the same time the Provincial Department of Health Services is linked with the Ministry of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, for specific funding, recruiting and training of workforce. The department of health receives its funding through the provincial treasury and its capital budget through the finance commission which is also directed through the provincial treasury. The capital financing is topped up by the PSSP project funded by World Bank from 2019 to 2023. The Department of Health Service of Sabaragamuwa province works with the national health policies and national strategic plans as well as with the provincial strategic plan and policies. Periodic reviews, monitoring and supervisions are carried out by both provincial authorities and the central government.
Provincial Department of Health Services exerts its functions through both preventive and curative health care sectors. This is carried out by its services through a network of institutions by covering the whole population of Sabaragamuwa province. Patient management is carried out by the curative health care sector which consists of primary, secondary and tertiary care levels. The primary (Primary Medical Care Units and Divisional Hospitals) and secondary (Base Hospitals) care institutions come under the provincial administrative authority whilst Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura and District General Hospitals are administered under the line ministry. Preventive health care services of the province are executed through Medical Officers of Health (MOH) and district units of vertical campaigns for some selected diseases of national control programmes.
The Provincial Director is the head of the Provincial Department of Health Services. Health Services of Sabaragamuwa Province is divided into two main health administrative divisions as Regional Directorates of Health Services Ratnapura and Kegalle, focusing on general administration, financial management, human resource management, handling all establishment issues and facilitating the preventive and curative health services with periodic monitoring and evaluation. The provincial department exerts its functions through five units namely Administration, Finance, Planning, Public health and Strategic Information Management Unit. The Provincial Engineering Unit and Biomedical Engineering Unit are two other units under the direct administration of the Provincial Directorate.
Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of Health System Enhancement Project which is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is established within the Provincial directorate with a separate full time staff but led by provincial director as “Deputy project manager”.
Historical development
Provincial councils were established and partially delegated the power of national health care delivery system through provincial ministry of health, according to the thirteenth amendment of constitution in 1987, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Provincial Director of Health Services Office was established under the authority of Provincial Ministry of Health. It was established and functioned at No 75, Dharmapala Mawatha, Ratnapura at the initial stage. Following Provincial Directors of Health Services were in office as head of department to provide the leadership in implementing the polices and guidelines of the Ministry of Health while identifying the provincial specific needs.
| No | Name of the PDHS | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr.N.U.K Jayathilaka | 1990 |
| 2 | Dr.N. Edirisinghe | 1996 |
| 3 | Dr.Kapila B. Kannangara | 2006 up to date |
Map of Rathnapura District with distribution of all types of health institutions
Map of Kegalle District with distribution of all types of health institutions
The Provincial department of health services, Sabaragamuwa province functions under the Provincial Health Ministry. At the same time the Provincial Department of Health Services is linked with the Ministry of Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, for specific funding, recruiting and training of workforce. The department of health receives its funding through the provincial treasury and its capital budget through the finance commission which is also directed through the provincial treasury. The capital financing is topped up by the PSSP project funded by World Bank from 2019 to 2023. The Department of Health Service of Sabaragamuwa province works with the national health policies and national strategic plans as well as with the provincial strategic plan and policies. Periodic reviews, monitoring and supervisions are carried out by both provincial authorities and the central government.
Provincial Department of Health Services exerts its functions through both preventive and curative health care sectors. This is carried out by its services through a network of institutions by covering the whole population of Sabaragamuwa province. Patient management is carried out by the curative health care sector which consists of primary, secondary and tertiary care levels. The primary (Primary Medical Care Units and Divisional Hospitals) and secondary (Base Hospitals) care institutions come under the provincial administrative authority whilst Teaching Hospital, Ratnapura and District General Hospitals are administered under the line ministry. Preventive health care services of the province are executed through Medical Officers of Health (MOH) and district units of vertical campaigns for some selected diseases of national control programmes.
The Provincial Director is the head of the Provincial Department of Health Services. Health Services of Sabaragamuwa Province is divided into two main health administrative divisions as Regional Directorates of Health Services Ratnapura and Kegalle, focusing on general administration, financial management, human resource management, handling all establishment issues and facilitating the preventive and curative health services with periodic monitoring and evaluation. The provincial department exerts its functions through five units namely Administration, Finance, Planning, Public health and Strategic Information Management Unit. The Provincial Engineering Unit and Biomedical Engineering Unit are two other units under the direct administration of the Provincial Directorate.
Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of Health System Enhancement Project which is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is established within the Provincial directorate with a separate full time staff but led by provincial director as “Deputy project manager”.