Minister of Health Channa Jayasumana confirms that no deaths have been reported in the country due to the current drug shortage.
Speaking in Parliament, Minister Channa Jayasumana said owing to several issues there were delays in issuing letters of credit to purchase drugs.
The Minister noted that they had to wait until April to procure certain drugs which should’ve done in the first week of January.
Minister Channa Jayasumana confirmed that now they have received adequate funds from the government, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to purchase medicines.
He said however due to the previous delays, Sri Lanka will face drug shortages in the next 90 days.
The Health Minister stressed that they will take necessary steps to minimise the shortages through a redistribution mechanism.
Minister Channa Jayasumana added that they will redistribute medicine stocks from hospitals that have additional stocks to facilities that are in demand.
He said officials are holding talks regularly to address the current drug shortage.
The Health Minister noted that they have introduced a hotline named “Osu diriya” to notify of any medicine shortages.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Health Rajitha Senarathne claimed that there are shortages of several life-saving drugs including antivenom and anti-rabies shots.
MP Rajitha Senarathne said although he highlighted about the shortages on a number of occasions, the government was unwilling to listen to his concerns.
He said the government claimed that certain groups are creating an artificial shortage until the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation reported a shortage of nearly 200 medicine types.
He said now the public is facing grave danger without anti-rabies shots.
In response, Minister of Health Channa Jayasumana said anti-rabies shots are available at certain facilities.
He said he is unable to comment on antivenom shots thus far.
