Profits over society’s well-being

While profits are important for business success, focusing solely on maximising profits at the expense of human lives can be harmful to a country and its citizens.  

Food

One example of such acts includes importing cheap, potentially less nutritious food into the country while ignoring the standardised processes and procedures. For Local products, we have the SLS mark product certification scheme issued by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, which is generally voluntary. However, for canned fish, the SLS mark product certification is mandatory. 

Environment  

When factories disregard environmental regulations, they can directly impact water sources used for drinking and agriculture in the vicinity by introducing pollutants like chemicals, nutrients, and microorganisms.

Medication

Free healthcare is the bedrock of social welfare in Sri Lanka, and a majority of the population depends on these services, but the trust has been misused. It is being said that the Government has spent huge amounts of rupees to purchase outright fake medication for State hospitals. Some of these drugs had fatal consequences, including the death of a 23-year-old woman who passed due to an allergic reaction, and there were several other incidents of allergic reactions and infections due to these imported medicines.

Agriculture

Chemical fertilisers and pesticides have been used extensively to increase crop yields. This practice has both benefits and drawbacks. While it can lead to higher productivity in the short term, it may also result in negative environmental impacts, soil degradation, and acute health issues. 

The list can go on. What we need to understand is that the majority of the general public who become victims of the above are due to their economic background and would rely on free health care provided by the government hospitals. This would put a strain on Sri Lanka’s free healthcare system, where the government needs to spend huge amounts of taxpayers’ money and would also create a significant burden on the national budgetary allocations. Also, when a family loses the primary income earner due to the above-stated facts, the family members will face significant financial hardship and emotional distress, causing family relationships to deteriorate.

Therefore, as responsible corporations, we need to act ethically, think critically and live meaningfully to save unnecessary healthcare expenses for our country! 

Vinodini Jayawardena