Government hospitals have resumed registering patients for PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans after the radioactive tracer needed for the imaging was successfully imported, ending a 39-day disruption that left cancer patients without access to the diagnostic in the public system.
Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni confirmed that the necessary medical supplies will be imported as usual going forward.
Services had been completely halted since March 27 due to a shortage of Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the short-half-life radiopharmaceutical used in PET imaging. The shortage was triggered by a registration issue with the company that had previously imported the chemical, after the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) tightened its 2026 policy requiring all radiopharmaceutical suppliers to be formally registered.
PET scans are central to oncology diagnostics, allowing clinicians to identify cancerous cells and monitor their activity, determine the extent to which cancer has spread through the body, and confirm whether treatment has eradicated the disease. Sri Lanka’s primary national cancer hospital, the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital, and the National Hospital in Colombo were the main facilities affected during the halt.
The NMRA approved the new supplier’s registration in late April, with the chemical due to arrive shortly afterwards. Tuesday’s resumption confirms that the imported tracer has been delivered and is now being used in clinical service.
Source: NewsFirst.
