The National Medicines Regulatory Authority has issued a statement clarifying an allegation made during a discussion held yesterday with the participation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella, a group of Ministers, trade union leaders and heads of state institutions.
The statement was issued in response to allegations that the NMRA was responsible for the prevailing shortage of medicines in the country.
The statement claimed the main reason for the medicines shortage was the foreign exchange crisis, which has also affected the supply of essential commodities.
The statement said all matters were outside the purview of the Authority.
Through the statement, the NMRA said steps have been taken to release medicine and medical equipment donated to the country without delay after assessing the quality of the drugs.
It said the allegations levelled over the delay in the release of medicines and equipment are baseless.
The NMRA also denied allegations pertaining to local manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices being discouraged.
It said a separate unit has been set up within the National Medicines Regulatory Authority to encourage local manufacturers adding through the project over 150 types of drugs have been registered within the last two months.
The statement said blaming the Authority without understanding the nature of the issue in the country or deliberately concealing it would only aggravate the current crisis.
