NMRA breaks silence on decade-long delay in cancer treatment machines

Colombo, Sept. 23 (Daily Mirror) - The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) confirmed that a decision has been reached regarding the long-delayed procurement of five Linear Accelerator Radiation Therapy Machines, with an official announcement to be made in due course.

NMRA CEO Dr. K.M.G.K Bandara told the Daily Mirror that approvals for critical medical equipment cannot be granted overnight.

“It has to be done systemically after undergoing proper checks and tests. Moreover, the manufacturing factory must be registered. In this case, while the company is registered, the product from China had not been registered, so we had to be careful before granting approval,” he explained.

Plans to provide the five modern Linear Accelerator machines to major hospitals date back to 2013, with facilities in Anuradhapura, Badulla, Kurunegala, Hambantota, and Ratnapura identified as beneficiaries.

However, the project faced repeated setbacks due to administrative and political delays spanning more than a decade.

In January 2025, the new government granted Cabinet approval for the purchase, allocating nearly USD 10 million for the project, with the intervention of the President and the Health Minister.

The prolonged delay in finalising the procurement has raised concerns among medical experts and patients alike, as thousands of cancer patients continue to experience limited access to radiation treatment facilities.