The Academy of Health Professionals claims the country will have to face the peak of the prevailing medicine shortage in the near future.
The Association charged although orders must be placed for medicine required for next year by now the Ministry of Health has not made preparations in that regard.
Convenor of the Association Ravi Kumudesh said bringing down medicine, the purchase, distribution and storage of medicine stocks cannot be done in two to three days adding the Health Ministry makes preparations to order the required stocks of medicine a year in advance.
He noted the country did not face a severe medicine shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic as people reduced obtaining treatment for regular sicknesses.
He added however if not for the pandemic there would’ve been a medicine shortage in the country since last January, which is not a simple matter.
Kumudesh said some may think it can be resolved in the same manner they obtain medicine from a private pharmacy when doctors are on strike at hospitals adding however there will be no medicine in the country, at state hospitals or in the private sector.
Commenting on burdens the public will have to face due to a medicine shortage Ravi Kumudesh said authorities have failed to provide solutions in this regard.
He said there is no medicine shortage in countries that faced grave situations such as Somalia and Ethiopia where serious epidemics emerged, in Ukraine despite the war and in North Korea despite the imposition of several sanctions.
He added despite various obstacles faced by countries, required stocks of medicine were supplied at the appropriate time.
Kumudesh said however the main organization in Sri Lanka regarding the importation and distribution of medicine in the country said the medicine shortage will reach a critical situation within four to six weeks.
He added storages that used to store 100 boxes of medicine now have less than 40.
