Hon. (Dr.) Kavinda Heshan Jayawardhana

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, at the adjournment I raise this question to the Hon. Minister of Health.

¶ 02 It is the Government’s responsibility to provide standard medicines to save patients’ lives and to ensure an uninterrupted supply of medicines to State hospitals.

¶ 03 1. What measures are taken by the Government to ensure standard medicines are supplied to the country?

¶ 04 2. Is the Government establishing an international-standard pharmaceutical testing laboratory?

¶ 05 3. What measures are being taken to ensure uninterrupted medicine supply?

¶ 06 We raise these because two key issues exist: medicine shortages and concerns over the quality of imported medicines. On the second, there are two aspects. First, some medicines registered by the NMRA still cause complications or even death; we have seen cases of blindness historically. Second, medicines are hand-carried into Sri Lanka without NMRA registration. Such medicines are dispensed to patients leading to deaths or complications; lack of proper therapy risks mortality.

¶ 07 For example, Hon. Mujibur Rahuman and I lodged a complaint with the CID regarding a cancer drug not registered with the NMRA but available in pharmacies—hand-carried medicines. A patient given this showed no improvement. Many such medicines must be transported under strict temperature and handling conditions, which hand-carried, unregistered drugs often violate.

¶ 08 Next, regarding the complaint by our Dr. Bellana on the Troponin-I test at the National Hospital—he complained to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, citing defects in those tests. If we cannot properly diagnose, we cannot treat. Therefore, diagnostic tests must meet standards.

¶ 09 We must also support local pharmaceutical manufacturing and pursue exports. India expects USD 60 billion from pharma exports in 2026 and USD 450 billion by 2030. We should produce standard medicines for our patients, supply our health system, and export to earn dollars. Price regulation is also essential, as in India and other countries.

¶ 10 Firstly, we must bring in standard medicines under proper procedures, conditions and protocols. Diagnostic tests for patients must be standardised. Today, due to medicine shortages, patients at national and other State hospitals are told to buy outside. For surgeries, patients must procure surgical items, instruments, implants, sutures from outside. The Government must address this.

¶ 11 I recall a recent incident: a businessman in a private hospital’s emergency unit died during angioplasty following a rupture because a covered stent was not available. We must ensure private hospitals have essential equipment, with proper post-audit and oversight. I respectfully request Government attention to these matters.