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Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Tuesday, October 21, 2025

HomeNewsDaily Accidents Claim 30–35 Lives, Health Ministry Warns of Alarming Trend

Daily Accidents Claim 30–35 Lives, Health Ministry Warns of Alarming Trend

Daily Accidents Claim 30–35 Lives, Health Ministry Warns of Alarming Trend

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Around 30 to 35 deaths linked to accidents are being reported daily, according to the Ministry of Health.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau today, Dr Samitha Siritunga, a specialist from the Non-Communicable Diseases Unit, revealed that between 10,000 to 12,000 fatalities occur annually in Sri Lanka due to various types of accidents — a situation that poses a significant burden on the national economy.

Dr Siritunga noted that while the total number of accidents and hospitalisations has declined since 2019, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, accidents remain the leading cause of hospital admissions at state hospitals.

He said that before 2019, annual accident-related hospitalisations were at 1.3 million. That figure has now dropped to around 1 million, but the downward trend may not last.

“If the current trend continues, we are likely to see an increase of another 200,000 to 300,000 accident-related hospital admissions in the next five to ten years,” he warned.

Dr Siritunga stressed the urgent need for a coordinated national programme to address and reverse this trend.

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