1 June 2023 08:16 am
While admitting that there was a shortage of 111 drugs as of yesterday (30), Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the Government has paid special attention to the matter and actions are underway to address the shortage.
He told Daily Mirror that certain medical experts who make allegations about drug shortages are going by past statistics which does not depict the actual picture.
“There was a shortage of 200 items three months ago, which have now come down to 112. It will further decrease to 70 within the next two weeks,” the Minister emphasized.
When asked whether there are sufficient funds to purchase drugs, Rambukwella said “It is undeniable that Sri Lanka has been facing its worst economic downfall since last year. Now, we are on the mend. In this context, there have been minor issues with releasing funds. However, we are now getting adequate funds from the Treasury needed to purchase medicines and other essentials,” (Sheain Fernandopulle)