The Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank Deputy Minister (Dr.) Hansaka Wijemuni for the government’s response, and I thank Hon. (Dr.) Jagath Gunawardana, my colleague Hon. D.V. Chanaka, and Hon. Hector Appuhami for their contributions.

¶ 02 The WHO publishes lists of globally recognized quality control laboratories. I now place in the Library that WHO document listing such labs. This is the type of quality laboratory Sri Lanka needs—capable of API standards and GMP standards verification, as confirmed by WHO. India, our closest neighbor, has 228 such labs across public and private sectors; I place those details in the Library as well.

¶ 03 The value is this: even after dossier and registration evaluations, we must randomly test products; when adverse events arise, we must determine whether to withhold or recall batches and act promptly. Without such a lab, we end up spending millions of rupees sending tests to Singapore or Germany, draining foreign exchange and delaying patient care. A strong national quality lab protects both patients and the health workforce.

¶ 04 Since we are on health, I must also raise issues conveyed to me by clinicians today: shortages of insulin needles, and glucose test strips; four out of five angiography machines at the National Hospital, Colombo, reportedly out of service; issues with the MRI as well. Please ensure diagnostics equipment are maintained and replaced. I also heard there were four months’ interruption to biochemistry tests due to administrative issues; please investigate. Finally, I received a sticker from a function at Temple Trees renaming the “1990 Suwaseriya” as “National Emergency Ambulance Service.” I do not know the accuracy, but I request the Hon. Prime Minister to look into this matter.