24 October 2022 05:53 pm
Currently, there is an acute shortage of more than 90 essential medicines in most government hospitals in the country, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) said.
Addressing the media, GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said the hospital network in the country will collapse due to shortages.
"We have observed that the current medicine shortage seems to be on the rise daily." The GMOA branch hospitals have informed us that even hospitals such as district hospitals in the Colombo city limits have faced a medicine shortage. "Essential medicines, including Paracetamol, Piriton and Saline are in short supply," he said.
Emergency medicines such as aspirin, which is used to prevent heatstroke, is in short supply in even Colombo General Hospital (CNH). There is even a shortage of medicine and medical equipment when conducting operations.
Therefore, doctors have to advice patients to get their medicine from pharmacies. Currently, pharmacies are running out of medicines, and most pharmacies are selling the drug at a higher price due to the shortage, which the patients cannot afford.
The current medicine shortage situation has become a nightmare for patients trying to get their medicines. Dr. Aluthge also mentioned that there are issues with laboratories, such as in X-ray and scan tests, due to the shortage of essential materials.
It is also emphasized that the government should immediately intervene in this regard, he said.
As a responsible association, we used to discuss the issue every two months, but the topic has come to the stage to be discussed again, Dr. Aluthge lamented. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)