Certain laws have become obstacles in resolving medicine shortage: Nalinda

Some laws and regulations date back to the British colonial era

By Ajith Siriwardana

Certain laws and regulations have become an obstacle in resolving the current medicine shortage, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday.

He said this while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Vipassi Buddhist Centre at the National Hospital, Colombo.

The Health Minister said that although some laws and regulations date back to the British colonial era and added that they cannot be amended easily,  as most laws and regulations are interconnected. “Some may question whether these laws cannot be changed when the government has a two-thirds majority and executive powers. It must be understood that many of these laws and regulations are not recent, but date back to the British era,” he said.

He said it is difficult to find solutions to some emergency issues while following certain laws and taking stipulated timeframes.