Sri Lanka is short of 33 of the 618 medicines it classifies as essential, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament on Tuesday, while insisting that every drug on the life-saving list is in stock.
The Minister said 585 of the 618 essential medicines are currently available across health institutions, leaving 33 in short supply. All 13 medicines classified as life-saving are available, he said, putting stocks in that category at 100%.
Jayatissa was responding to a question from SJB MP S.M. Marikkar, Daily Mirror reported. He told the House the government has allocated funds to allow local purchases of medicines to limit the effect of the gaps, and said steps were being taken to resolve the shortages as soon as possible.
A second, larger list
Hiru News reported that the Ministry of Health has separately drawn up a priority list of 886 medicines it considers necessary to keep hospitals running day to day — a wider set than the 618 essential medicines, and one the Minister did not give stock figures for.
Neither report names the 33 medicines that are unavailable, says how long they have been out of stock, or identifies which hospitals are affected. The Minister also did not say what the shortages are costing patients who must buy substitutes privately.
The statement follows sustained pressure over drug availability, including shortages of cancer medicines at Apeksha Hospital and a delayed consignment of 190,000 G-CSF injections held up in customs clearance earlier this month.
