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80% of medical supplies sourced locally within five years: Keheliya

17 Nov 2021

Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella stated yesterday (17) that Sri Lanka is expecting to manufacture 80% of the country’s medical supplies within the country itself within the next five years.  He stated this while addressing the opening ceremony of a modern manufacturing facility for medical consumables and devices by Flexicare Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Flexicare Group, UK. Here he noted that it is further envisaged that over 90% of the production will be exported, bringing in significant foreign exchange to the country, as well as providing employment. The Minister said this is the first time that a fully fledged facility has been established for medical consumables with the view of exporting products, with a significant amount of products manufactured to cater to the healthcare industry in Sri Lanka.  “I am also proud this is one of the areas that ‘Vistas of Prosperity’ very clearly indicated, and in the manifesto we say that we are looking at manufacturing all medical supplies as far as possible with the support of the Board of Investment (BOI). I think we are looking at a different level today. We are inviting all investors from all quarters to come and invest in Sri Lanka and particularly in the health sector,” he noted.  “As of now, our targets are very ambitious. In fact, we are looking at about 80% medical supplies to be produced in Sri Lanka within the next five years.”  He said that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa had allocated funds from the Budget towards this end, and that the BOI would take a major share of it.  “I have no doubt that it will be a success at the end of the period we have stipulated,” he stated.  


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