Seychelles Health Minister Mitcy Larue shakes hands with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in Colombo.
Agencies/Colombo
Seychelles has sought Sri Lanka’s assistance in developing the country’s heath sector.
The request came during a meeting Seychelles Health Minister Mitcy Larue had with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Thursday.
The minister was accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Health Care Agency Dr Suresh Menon and several other high-level health officials.
Rajapakse, expressing his satisfaction of the recent strengthening of ties between the two island nations, promised assistance.
“The changes and progress we have seen (in Sri Lanka) is just remarkable,” Larue said. “As island nations, we really need to work together.”
The delegation, on a study tour to explore the healthcare sector in the country, earlier visited both government and private hospitals in Sri Lanka and spoke highly of the services available in the country.
“Your health indicators are as good as any developed country,” said Menon, while requesting the president for assistance in two specific areas: assistance in developing primary health centres and in training doctors and specialised nurses.
The delegation said there were a number of Sri Lankan doctors working in Seychelles, providing excellent services to the people. Menon also said his country’s biomedical unit is almost entirely staffed by Sri Lankans.
During his visit to Seychelles in June this year, Rajapakse held bilateral discussions with leaders on strengthening collaboration in the health sector. The president also declared open a Nawaloka Medical Centre in the country’s capital city Victoria.
At that time, Sri Lanka also established branches of major business institutions in Victoria.
They include branches of Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka Insurance and Mihin Lanka.
