load) and 4 339 302 outpatients (7.8%) of the allopathic case load) (Health Statistics Unit, MoH). Furthermore, information on the types of morbidities and characteristics of patients seen in the traditional systems is not routinely available (Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, 2016a). Hence, the information presented in this publication is mainly on the allopathic system. Allopathic medical care is provided through both the public and private sectors. The public sector provides 95% of inpatient care and 50% of outpatient care services (Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indeginous Medicine, 2016a). In addition to the MoH, the Ministry of Defence and the Police Department provide curative health-care services to their personnel and their families through their own hospitals. The prison hospitals provide curative care to prisoners. The Department of Motor Traffic provides a service limited to medical examinations for those who apply for new or renewal of vehicle licenses. A few local government authorities, such as selected municipal councils, are responsible for providing preventive and curative care services to their taxpayers. The Sri Lankan health system is recognized internationally as a highimpact, low-cost model (Perera et al., 2019). This achievement was built on the foundations of a health-care system that has been free at the point of delivery since 1951; adopting key primary health-care principles since 1926 (significantly in advance of the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978); and establishment of a wide network of close-to-client primary healthcare services. Sri Lanka therefore seems well positioned to achieve UHC, although current demographic, epidemiological, social and economic transitions are challenges that need to be overcome to ensure universal and equitable provision of health financing and care (De Silva, Ranasinghe and Abeykoon, 2016).
2.3 Organization The MoH provides overall stewardship and monitoring of government health services throughout the country. The Ministry is headed by a minister and a secretary, and the latter is usually a senior administrator from the Sri Lanka Administrative Service or sometimes a senior doctor who is a specialist administrator. Figure 2.1 depicts the organizational structure of the Ministry.
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