Hon. Ruwanthilaka Jayakody

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, today we are discussing a very important, timely subject: approving regulations under the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act, No. 5 of 2015. Our Hon. Minister and others explained how this will be enforced and how medicine prices will be reduced. Medicines are as essential to life as food—often decisive. Some people require medicines throughout their lives; their lives depend on them. If medicines are unavailable when needed, lives can be endangered, even lost. Because drugs are so decisive, they command great attention. Globally, arms and pharmaceuticals are two of the most profitable trades.

¶ 02 Some Members this morning questioned whether this topic should be debated due to a pending case. I ask whether there are groups in Parliament who deem it unsuitable to discuss medicines vital to public well-being. Their arguments raise suspicion whether agents of drug racketeers are even in this Parliament. To profit from life-saving medicines while people die is most unfortunate.

¶ 03 Recently, we faced a vile experience discussed even here: for cancer patients, the State’s bounden duty is to supply essential medicines without limit. Yet, instead of medicines, saline water was given to innocent patients pleading for life. How depraved is that? To give death to a human being asking for life is beyond comprehension. In that period, they turned medicines into a racket to make money, disregarding how essential drugs are to people. The families of the former Minister enriched themselves rapidly—how did they amass such wealth? The victims were helpless patients who even paid with their lives. Many died due to not receiving medicines on time; substandard drugs caused blindness and worsened conditions.

¶ 04 A former Health Minister accountable to this Parliament should be ashamed. When a no-confidence motion was brought against him, some Members—including one from Galle who lectured on health and others dreaming of presidency—voted confidence in him. That is their politics—built on money and power, singularly to profit. Their ill-gotten wealth came from the sweat and blood of innocent people.

¶ 05 We need a national medicines policy because the pharmaceutical trade is a mafia, hard to escape. Professor Senaka Bibile attempted to address this by identifying needed drug categories and quantities. Precisely for formulating such a policy, he was eventually assassinated on a foreign shore. For decades, successive governments paid lip service to Bibile’s policy but did not implement it; they lacked will and capacity. Behind this racket stood politicians and some public officials, who must also be held accountable. The law will apply to them in due course.

¶ 06 Facing these challenges, the National People’s Power government operates within a clear policy framework. Regarding health, we are taking steps to control drug prices and relieve the public—measures we are confident will succeed.

¶ 07 Hon. Presiding Member, we believe that hereafter no substandard drugs will be given to our patients, and no Health Minister under this government will gamble with patients’ lives for personal gain. The duty to heal our people lies with all of us. We invite even the Opposition to join us.

¶ 08 Thank you.