The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, I have reported clearly. After reactions in August, and a death in Trincomalee around 07 September, an inquiry was conducted. The report indicated that death was not due to the said medicine. In April, NMRA decided the product had no issue and could be reused. We did not use the entire stock; 7,500 vials remained. When a product is withdrawn, storage conditions may lapse; only those kept under proper storage were considered for reuse. Subsequent use occurred. Regarding the two later deaths in Kandy and Ragama, NMRA conducted special investigations and reported no link to the product. The attempt here is to suggest human immunoglobulin causes deaths per se; that is incorrect. We also had over 180,000–200,000 vials procured and in use otherwise. After NMRA’s April decision to resume use, some tried to conflate this with stocks from the Keheliya Rambukwella period. The public may not distinguish products, but investigations for the two deaths did not attribute causality to this medicine. Our decisions are based on that.