2026-02-17 / Oral Question: Improvement of Health Facilities for Persons with Disabilities 2026-02-17
## Summary
Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni responded on behalf of the Minister of Health to a parliamentary question concerning healthcare access for persons with disabilities. The response outlined a comprehensive set of planned and ongoing measures across four areas: improving physical accessibility and sanitary facilities in hospitals; strengthening clinical access through priority token systems, audio-visual information formats, and assistive device manufacturing; developing staff capacity through sign language training, disability awareness programmes, and recruitment of allied health professionals including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and prosthetists. The Deputy Minister acknowledged the absence of a uniform national mechanism to identify persons with disabilities upon entry to medical institutions, noting that case-by-case instructions are currently in place, while clarifying that financial assistance programmes for medicines and tests fall under the Ministry of Rural Development rather than the Ministry of Health.
Hon. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Health and Mass Media, I reply as follows.
(a)(i) Steps to ensure health and well-being of persons with disabilities:
- Improve accessibility across the hospital system.
- Enhance sanitary facilities for persons with disabilities.
- Provide all required medical services and medicines through hospitals.
- Upgrade rehabilitation units and related facilities.
(a)(ii) Steps to facilitate access to clinical and other services:
- Strengthen in-hospital manufacturing facilities for assistive devices (prosthetics and orthotics).
- Establish an information centre for persons with disabilities attending clinics.
- Reserve a set number of priority tokens daily for persons with disabilities when issuing clinic numbers.
- Upgrade clinic and ward access to be wheelchair/assistive-device friendly.
- Deliver all clinic messages/information in audio and visual formats; commence training of hospital staff to communicate with persons with hearing and visual impairments.
(a)(iii) Identifying and prioritising persons with disabilities at medical institutions:
- There is no uniform national mechanism at present to identify persons with disabilities upon entry to medical institutions; instructions have been issued to act appropriately case-by-case.
- Measures planned include a dedicated medicine-dispensing window, an accessible registration counter, and an internal counter/information desk in every hospital to avoid sending such patients from place to place.
(a)(iv) Developing professional skills and attitudes:
- Provide sign language training to all hospital staff (a programme is already underway in the Western Province).
- Conduct awareness programmes for hospital officers on the needs of persons with disabilities (e.g., events around the International Day of Persons with Disabilities).
- Ongoing training for nursing staff of the Emergency Treatment Unit at the National Hospital, Colombo.
- Train medical staff (consultants, doctors).
- Recruit/train allied health staff who serve persons with disabilities and fill current vacancies: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, prosthetists and orthotists.
- Recruit and train staff to strengthen community rehabilitation and establish rehabilitation units in all primary hospitals with necessary facilities.
(b)(i) Technical strategies and new technology:
- Provide modern equipment to Ragama Rehabilitation Hospital and the National Hospital Colombo for prosthetics/orthotics manufacturing (e.g., 3D scanners, gait laboratory).
- Improve facilities for local manufacture of assistive devices; seek tax relief on imports; coordinate with regulators; encourage private sector participation.
- Train and recruit caregivers, expand services, and support growth of the private care industry.
- Improve treatment modalities for disability (e.g., 3D scanning, gait analysis).
(b)(ii) Financial assistance for medicines/tests:
- No programme is currently operated within the Ministry of Health; such programmes are implemented by the National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment.
(b)(iv) Ensuring equal access to health services:
- Create disability-friendly and accessible environments in hospitals/health institutions.
- Provide sign language training to hospital staff.
- Ensure all health messages are designed to be accessible to persons with hearing and visual impairments (through relevant units such as the Health Promotion Bureau and Family Health Bureau).
- Facilitate manufacture and repair of assistive devices, including wheelchairs, within hospitals.
- Upgrade rehabilitation units in all hospitals and provide equipment.
(c) Does not arise.