Payments will have to be met for all bills issued by hospital directors for these patients.

A sum of Rs. 1,200 million has been set aside to provide the medicines this year.

In 2017, the funding will be raised to as much as Rs. 4,200 million, the ministry says.

Also, lenses for eye patients and stents needed for heart patients will be given free of charge, minister Rajitha Senaratne told a meeting in Beruwala.

Ensuring a halt to corruption and fraud, the health ministry has been able to save more than Rs. 2,000 million this year.