“Medical assistance applications up by 59% within a year following decentralisation and digitalisation of the President’s Fund to Divisional Secretariats”
Medical assistance provided to over 70% of applicants
Increase in applications received
Within one year of decentralising and digitalising the President’s Fund to Divisional Secretariat offices, the number of medical assistance applications received has increased by 59%.
Accordingly, 5,277 applications were received by the President’s Fund in 2025. The number of applications received in 2024 was 3,313, while 3,456 applications were received in 2023.
As a result of decentralisation and digitalisation, 1,964 more applications were received in 2025 compared to 2024.
More than 70% of these applicants have already been granted medical assistance.
Applications for medical assistance from the President’s Fund are now being accepted through all Divisional Secretariat offices islandwide. In 2025, applications from the Northern Province increased by 253%, while increases of 135%, 116%, and 108% were recorded in the Eastern, Central, and Uva Provinces, respectively.
The acceptance of applications for public medical assistance through all Divisional Secretariat offices across the island commenced on 7 February 2025. As this programme has been implemented very successfully, steps have also been taken to decentralise other services of the President’s Fund.
Accordingly, the public now has online access to all services operated by the President’s Fund, including poverty alleviation assistance, educational scholarships, recognition of academically outstanding students, assistance for persons with special needs, compensation for children affected by wild elephant attacks, recognition of individuals who have rendered national or public service, and assistance for emergencies and disaster situations.
As a result, all services of the President’s Fund, which had been confined to Colombo for 47 years, an now be accessed by beneficiaries through any Divisional Secretariat office, enabling people in need to submit applications closer to home.
(PMD)
