Ranil Wickremesinghe's statement regarding WHO funds to Sri Lanka, false - Health Minister  

COLOMBO (News 1st):  "The report clearly states that the World Health Organization has only allocated a sum of USD 1.9 Mn for Sri Lanka. Therefore, the statement made by Ranil Wickremesinghe is false," Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi said. This was in response to the statement made by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, claiming that the funds received by the World Health Organization to combat the spread of Covid19, were misused. "The World Bank provided us with a USD 230 Mn loan. These funds were provided to combat the spread of COVID-19. But did they purchase even one bed or a ventilator or medicine using these funds?," former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said. However, the Minister of Health said, the WHO has only provided USD 1.9 Mn as COVID-19 funds adding that the WHO has stated that they will provide another USD 2.3 Mn for expenses next year. Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Ministry of Health says the World Health Organization has only released USD 1.9 million to Sri Lanka. "A sum of USD 855,869 has already been utilized in line with the COVID-19 program in the country," the statement read adding that all expenses are monitored by the resident office of the WHO. When News 1st inquired about this from the WHO office in Sri Lanka, the WHO in Sri Lanka responded by forwarding the statement issued by the Ministry of Health.