Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake earmarks record budget for health construction and clean water

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the government has restarted 26 large‑scale healthcare construction projects that were halted by previous administrations, bringing the total number of health projects under way to 48. The revived works include new hospital complexes and emergency treatment units in Monaragala, Trincomalee, Ampara and Chilaw, alongside upgrades to primary‑care centres, ambulance services and digital health systems such as a national electronic health record.

In the same pre‑budget briefing, the President pledged an unprecedented allocation in the 2027 national budget to permanently resolve Sri Lanka’s long‑standing drinking‑water crisis. The commitment targets the expansion and modernisation of water‑supply infrastructure, long‑term engineering solutions and reduced reliance on emergency water programmes, aiming to improve public‑health outcomes for millions of Sri Lankans.