President’s Fund increases medical assistance grants

2026-02-10 - 15:49

The Board of Governors of the President’s Fund has decided to increase the medical assistance grants provided by the Fund. According to the President’s Media Division, this decision was taken at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the President’s Fund held this morning (10), under the chairmanship of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The Board comprises seven members, including the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and the Secretary to the President. In line with committee recommendations, it was decided to revise and increase the existing medical assistance amounts. The meeting also agreed to relax the stringent criteria currently in place for granting medical assistance and to simplify the procedure so that patients receiving treatment at any hospital registered under the Ministry of Health would be eligible for such assistance. The President’s Media Division further stated that the Board of Governors also decided to provide a one-off grant of Rs. 100,000 to university students with special needs. The meeting also focused on formulating an expedited programme, with the intervention of the President’s Fund, to reduce the long waiting lists for cardiac surgeries and cataract removal surgeries at government hospitals. The President’s Media Division noted that the financial position of the President’s Fund has reached its highest level in history. Instructions were also given to ensure transparency of the Fund by publishing, on its website, district- and Divisional Secretariat-level data on beneficiaries receiving assistance through the President’s Fund.