During a meeting held at the Ministry of Health of Singapore on 23 July, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Singapore Senarath Dissanayake discussed with the Minister of Health of Singapore Ong Ye Kung, the opportunities for cooperation in the health sector between the two countries.
The High Commissioner expressed gratitude for Singapore's assistance in reinforcing Sri Lanka’s healthcare response to the pandemic. Referring to the Nurses Recruitment Project, the High Commissioner mentioned that approximately 400 Sri Lankan nurses are now working in the Singapore public healthcare sector on a two-year contract basis. He requested that this opportunity be opened for nurses to be recruited to the private hospitals in Singapore as well.
Referring to the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2018 between SingHealth and the Ministry of Health, Nutrition, and Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka, the High Commissioner underscored the importance of such partnerships and requested the continuity and expansion of this program as Sri Lanka would benefit from training medical professionals.
Minister Ong Ye Kung welcomed the ongoing collaboration between the two countries in the health sector and highlighted the successful integration and outstanding performance of the nurses recruited from Sri Lanka within Singapore's healthcare community. He noted that Singapore is looking to recruit more nurses. He advised Ministry officials to connect SingHealth with the High Commission to discuss further the continuity and expansion of collaborative projects in Sri Lanka. The Minister also proposed further discussions with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health on exchanging medical professionals, sharing best practices, and arranging capacity-building initiatives for Sri Lankan healthcare professionals.
The meeting was attended by Director of International Cooperation Dr. Lyn James, Lead Manager of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Health, Singapore Crystal Bay, and Minister and Head of Chancery of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore Ahamed Razee.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
Singapore
02 August 2024
