PM: State-funded treatment abroad for Easter bomb victims

People injured by the Easter Sunday bombings who cannot be properly treated locally will be sent abroad for treatment at state expense, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinge promised yesterday. The Prime Minister gave this assurance when he officiated at a function of the National Peace Council at the BMICH yesterday.

Premier Wickremesinghe said that if doctors treating people injured in the Easter Sunday bomb explosions certified that the injuries could not be treated locally, he would undertake to send these people for treatment at foreign medical facilities at state expense.

He also disclosed that action was being taken through the Office for Reparations to obtain all details about the damage caused by the bomb attacks.

A fund had been opened for the benefit of orphaned children and action will be taken to assist such children with the assistance of Church Committees. Steps had also been taken to pay sufficient compensation in respect of the dead and injured persons and a budget of Rs. 250 million had been set apart for initial payments in this regard.

He said more funds would also be released for the reconstruction of the damaged churches.

The Prime Minister said he had already informed the Muslim community leadership about the need to enact laws to regulate Madrasa education in consultation with foreign experts.

The Prime Minister was addressing the gathering at the awarding of certificates to the trainees of the Sri Lanka National Peace Council’s Transitional Justice training programme held at the BMICH, Colombo yesterday.

Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Parliamentarian Mahinda Amaraweera and Sri Lanka National Pace Council Executive Director Dr. Jehan Perera were present at the ceremony.

(Source: Daily News – By Kamani Alwis)