Colombo, Feb 24 (IANS): The current shortage of fuel in Sri Lanka will be resolved soon as the government has decided that funds should be allocated for an uninterrupted fuel supply, the Ministry of Energy said on Thursday.

The cabinet approved the payment of $35.3 million for diesel carried by a tanker that arrived in Sri Lanka a few days ago and subsequently, 37,500 litres of diesel were being unloaded, with more fuel to arrive in the coming days, K.D.R. Olga, secretary to the ministry, told the media.

Last week, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka authorised the Ceylon Electricity Board to cut power given that the operations of several diesel power plants have stopped due to the lack of fuel, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan medical unions on Thursday urged the government to exempt hospitals from the island wide power cuts that are taking place due to fuel shortages.

Navin de Zoysa, assistant secretary to the Government Medical Officers Association, the largest doctors trade union in Sri Lanka, claimed that only major hospitals of the country have generators, and the hospital administrations are finding it difficult to find adequate amounts of fuel to run the generators.