• Health Ministry issues instructions amidst drug and equipment shortages

The Ministry of Health has instructed hospital authorities to postpone non-essential and non-urgent surgeries that could be delayed based on medical recommendations, amid a growing health sector crisis due to the shortage of pharmaceutical drugs and medical equipment.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella’s Media Secretary Indika Polkotuwa said: “The Health Ministry instructed the hospital authorities to prioritise essential and urgent surgeries. Instructions have also been given to postpone surgeries which are not essential nor urgent, based on the recommendations of doctors. This is not something out of the ordinary, as certain patients have to be on pending lists to undergo surgeries in any case.”

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) stated last Friday (10) that with the current shortage of pharmaceutical drugs, many life-saving drugs have been found to be out of stock in the health sector. According to the SLMA, out of around 300 drugs listed as essential, over 160 are at zero stock at present, while another 60 drugs will only last for over a month. Among these drugs are antibiotics’ surgery-related drugs such as anaesthetics; prenatal, neonatal, and paediatric medicine; and cancer-related medicine.

The Health Minister was not available for comment.

As the country is seeing a serious economic crisis at present, the relevant authorities have, over the past few months, been finding it difficult to procure the required US dollars to import pharmaceutical drugs and other medical supplies. Although the situation has subsided to some extent due to various grants and donations from several organisations and countries, the hospitals are still affected by the shortages of drugs and medical equipment. However, the Health Ministry has been stating over the recent past that the shortage of drugs and medical equipment is not at a serious level and the provision of treatment can be managed.

Meanwhile, the College of Medical Laboratory Scientists (CMLS) recently claimed that despite having received credit facilities and other forms of financial assistance for the purchase of drugs and medical supplies from a number of institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the World Bank (WB), the Ministry of Health continues to default on the payments to regular suppliers and make emergency and non-competitive purchases, which has now become a mafia.