Papageorgiou's comments come in the wake of political shifts that have disrupted previous reform strategies. The new administration under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has halted privatization efforts initiated by the previous government, led by Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The Ceylon Electricity Board has yet to issue an official explanation for the outage. Investigations are ongoing, and further updates are expected as restoration efforts continue.
Timely community action and strengthened health services will determine how many more young lives are placed at risk before cooler weather arrives, health workers say.