Health Minister-NMRA feud worsens over CEO Post

• President intervenes and put forward his nominee
• Minister declines to appoint person chosen by NMRA
• Insists on appointing person who scored second highest mark

By Kelum Bandara

The feud between Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) over the appointment of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) worsened, prompting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to intervene in the settlement of the dispute, Daily Mirror learns.  The rift started after Minister Rambukwella declined to appoint the person chosen by the NMRA board to appoint as the CEO. Instead, he has insisted on the appointment of the person who scored the second-highest mark at the interview conducted by the NMRA board.  

There has been much wrangling between the two sides.

Daily Mirror learns that Minister Rambukwella and the NMRA board members exchanged heated arguments. The dispute was brought to the notice of the President who eventually decided to hand-pick his nominee for the post.
The NMRA board was supposed to meet yesterday evening to confirm the appointment of the President’s nominee to the post since the minister and the board members failed to reach any consensus.

• The NMRA board was supposed to meet yesterday evening to confirm the appointment of the President’s nominee to the post since the minister and the board members failed to reach any consensus