Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has issued a circular forbidding hospital authorities revealing information that is "disruptive" in a bid to keep important information from reaching the media, Parliament was told yesterday.

The Minister said this in response to a query by JVP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who alleged that the Minister through a circular has instructed health authorities to bring such issues to the notice of only the Health Ministry and not tell to the media.

He said that there were many occasions when shortcomings in the health sector were exposed by the media.

The Health Ministry had come under heavy criticism from the public since the exposure and this prompted the Minister to issue the circular 80 that such incidents could be blacked out.

Minister Silva admitted that such instruction had been issued.

He said that hospital authorities had been instructed to be mindful of possible acts of sabotage by some elements with vested interests.

"We have received information that certain bankrupt parties planning to stage disturbances and acts of sabotage in health sector. Therefore, I warned health authorities not to allow such elements to achieve that aim of parties with vested interests", he said.