Health Minister says medicine supplies remain stable despite shortage reports

Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said there are no widespread shortages of essential medicines, while addressing reports that cancer patients at the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital were facing difficulties due to shortages of certain medical supplies, including colostomy bags.

Responding to questions on the issue, Jayatissa said Apeksha Hospital had already issued a clarification regarding the reports, while the Lady Ridgeway Hospital was expected to issue a notice by this evening.

He said medicines are supplied to hospitals through the Ministry of Health, while additional medicines can also be obtained through the Named Patient Program (NPP), a regulatory mechanism that allows doctors to request medicines that are not approved or commercially available locally or are temporarily unavailable.

Jayatissa said Apeksha Hospital has specific requirements for certain medicines because the quantities needed are relatively small. The Health Ministry provides funds for hospitals to purchase such medicines directly when necessary, he said.

He also noted that Apeksha Hospital receives substantial donations of medicines and other items from the public. The hospital receives medicines worth around Rs. 500 million annually through donations, according to the minister.

He said the hospital maintains records of its medicine stocks and identifies which medicines are suitable for donation based on its requirements at a given time.

Addressing the reported shortage of colostomy bags, Jayatissa said supplies had been procured but were not accepted after a quality issue was identified in the products received.

He said hospitals had subsequently been provided with the necessary funds to purchase colostomy bags at the divisional level, adding that while purchasing them at market prices is costly, the Health Ministry had allocated the required funds.

The minister said hospitals also continue to accept donations of medicines and other medical supplies.

Jayatissa reiterated that there is no overall problem with the supply of medicines, while encouraging donors to continue supporting hospitals where necessary. (Newswire)

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