The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa

¶ 01 Hon. Member, you are correct about the process. After ordering, medicines take time to arrive; for example, orders placed in January often arrive around April. Typically, about nine and a half months elapse for the full cycle. In 2023 and 2024 there were significant delays in placing orders, and that is the challenge we now face.

¶ 02 Through the Medical Supplies Division we supply around 8,062 items. Where delays occur, this year’s Budget has allocated Rs. 40 billion for hospitals to make decentralized purchases to bridge gaps. Going forward, we do not anticipate fresh issues in placing orders. The backlog stems from earlier stages 1–2 years ago in tendering, evaluation, supplier selection, and certain Technical Evaluation Committee issues. To manage gaps, we have given funds to hospitals for regional purchases and, in some instances, coordinated with foreign governments, notably India, to supply some medicines.

¶ 03 For the Cancer Institute, shortages arise from time to time; we respond with various measures case by case.