PET scan services for cancer patients have been suspended at major government hospitals — including the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital and the National Hospital in Colombo — since March 27, the Government Radiological Technologists’ Association said.
The disruption is due to a shortage of Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the radioactive compound essential for PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging used in cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring. FDG was previously imported from India, but supplies have been halted following issues related to the importer’s registration status with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
Maharagama Apeksha is Sri Lanka’s primary national cancer hospital and the National Hospital is the country’s largest public tertiary facility, meaning the suspension effectively removes free-of-charge PET imaging from the public system for the moment. Patients reliant on government hospitals for oncology diagnostics now have no public-sector pathway to PET scans while the regulatory issue is resolved.
The Government Radiological Technologists’ Association raised the matter publicly on Monday, more than a month after services were halted. The association did not specify a timeline for restoration of supplies or whether NMRA had issued any interim authorisation to resume imports.
In a Friday update, NMRA Chairman, Specialist Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, told NewsFirst that approval has now been granted to import the chemical after the supplier completed registration, and that the substance is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka at the earliest. Wijewickrama said imports last year had been allowed without formal registration, but a 2026 policy change required all suppliers to register; delays in submitting the required information triggered the current shortage.
The disruption adds to a string of public-health pressures currently visible across the system, including the resurgence of measles cases in Colombo and the recent Rs. 600mn ESWL and DSA machine procurement at Kandy National Hospital.
