Feb 26, Colombo: Sri Lankan government has taken a series of steps to control and prevent the renal disease that is spreading mostly among the agriculture community in the island.

President Maithripala Sirisena said the treatment and preventive routines for kidney patients had been radically progressed while a Presidential Task Force has been established and national level projects have been propelled in this respect.

The President was participating in an event Wednesday at the Gall Face Hotel in Colombo to establish a trust fund with the support of the business community to strengthen the National Kidney Fund to treat kidney patients.

Prevention of the further spread of the renal disease and the welfare of the patients already suffering from this disease and welfare of their family members are main tasks of the government's program.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to expand the composition of the Sub Committee of Cabinet Ministers appointed under the chairmanship of the President to include several more Ministers.

Accordingly, Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Minister of Finance, Minister of Irrigation and Agriculture, Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, Minister of Education, Minister of Social Service, Welfare and Livestock Development, Minister of Housing and Samurdhi, Minister of Food Security, Minister of State Administration, Provincial Councils, Local Government, and Democratic Governance and Minister of Mass Media and Parliamentary Affairs will be included in the sub-committee.

The Cabinet of Ministers also made several decisions in relation to the programme of controlling the renal disease.

The Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine is assigned to undertake action relating to the management of preventing the spread of the disease, and treatment of patients in a streamlined manner.

Ministry of Social Service, Welfare and Livestock Development will implement all welfare activities relating to the renal disease patients

While Ministry of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage will undertake the water purification plants being constructed in the areas where the renal disease is being spread extensively, Ministry of Irrigation and Agriculture is to undertake the programme of promoting the varieties of traditional rice that contribute to controlling of the renal disease.

Measures will be taken to establish a coordinating unit in the Presidential Secretariat to coordinate the activities of all these programs and to appoint an experienced person as the Head of this Coordinating Unit by the Secretary to the President to steer the activities relating to the prevention of the renal disease.

A committee comprising senior officials of the relevant Ministries and experts of the sector to assist the Cabinet Sub Committee will be appointed under the chairmanship of the President.

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