COLOMBO – About 94.7% of essential medicines required for the day-to-day operation of Sri Lanka’s government hospitals are currently in stock, and all 13 identified life-saving medicines are available without shortages, Health and Mass Media Minister Dr Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament.
Responding to a question from Opposition MP S. M. Marikkar, during Questions for Oral Answers on Tuesday (22), the Minister said 585 of the 618 medicines classified as essential were currently available at government hospitals and other state healthcare institutions.
This leaves 33 essential medicines either unavailable or in short supply, according to the figures presented to Parliament.
Jayatissa said the health authorities were required to maintain stocks of 886 medicines on the priority list to ensure the uninterrupted operation of hospitals.
He said the government had allocated funds for emergency local procurement to minimize the impact of medicine shortages and restore supplies to required levels as quickly as possible.
The Minister also told Parliament that outstanding payments owed by hospitals and other institutions under the Health Ministry had been reduced to about Rs 8 million, from arrears that had previously run into billions of rupees.
Meanwhile, the government had allocated Rs 16.496 billion for electricity, water and laundry services for health institutions, of which Rs 9.109 billion remained payable as of September 14, he said.
–ENCL
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