Hon.
Renuka Herath
Member of Parliament
රේණුකා හේරත්
ரேணுகா ஹேரத்
Member of Parliament
for Nuwara Eliya District
In office
1989–2000
In office
2006–2010
Personal details
Born(1945-09-07)7 September 1945
Wewakale, Walapane
Died13 March 2017(2017-03-13) (aged 71)
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partyUnited National Party
Other political
affiliations		United National Front
SpouseWimal Sisira Bandara Ranaweera
ChildrenHiranya Herath
Residence(s)Wewakale, Walapane
Alma materPadiyapelalla Junior School, Poramadulla Central College
OccupationPolitician
Known forMinister of Health

Dunuthilaka Mudiyanselage Renuka Menike Herath, commonly known as Renuka Herath (Sinhala: රේණුකා හේරත්, Tamil language: ரேணுகா ஹேரத், Born 7 September 1945 – 13 March 2017), was a prominent Sri Lankan politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.[1] She was the Health Minister under President Ranasinghe Premadasa. Renuka Herath was the opposition leader of the Central Provincial Council[2] when she died.

During her tenure as the Minister of Health,[3] while there was a tremendous amount of improvement to the healthcare system, it was also a time where no strikes in the healthcare service sector were allowed to cause inconvenience the public. She was active in politics up until she died in 2017.[4]

She is still known today as one of the most outspoken and courageous political leaders who fought for justice and rights of the people.

Career

Renuka Herath was a member of the UNP[5] and came into politics by contesting in 1977 from her native Walapane electorate in Nuwara-Eliya district. She went on to win her first election and became a district minister.

In 1988, she was appointed as the deputy minister of cultural affairs. During President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s regime, she was the Minister of Health and women’s affairs.  It was during her tenure in office that a major development in infrastructure and public service sector and uplift the quality of life for the people in Walapane and Nuwara-Eliya.

References

  1. ^ "PARLIAMENTARY GENERAL ELECTION - 02-04-2004" (PDF). Sri Lanka Department of Elections. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  2. ^ "CENTRAL PROVINCE COUNCIL| PROSPEROUS MEDARATA MARCHES FORWARD WITH DIGNITY " (PDF). cs.cp.gov.lk. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  3. ^ "The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Issued by Hon. Renuka Herath" (PDF). Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka.
  4. ^ "Central Provincial Council opposition leader Renuka Herath passes away". Sirasa News First. 13 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Hon. (Mrs.) Renuka Herath, M.P. Parliament of Sri Lanka". Parliament of Sri Lanka.


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