Local Saline from 1 September – Professor Jayasumana

Approval has been granted at the Cabinet meeting for the state sector to purchase products of the Saline Factory from 1 September. The Saline Factory was launched to manufacture Saline locally as a joint venture between the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) and a private company, transforming into reality a long-felt dream.

According to a Cabinet paper submitted by Minister of Health, Pavithra Wanniarachchi and the State Ministry of Pharmaceutical Products, Supplies and Regulation, normal Saline, Dextrose solutions, Hartmann solutions and Mannitol solutions as well as basic intravenous solutions will be manufactured at a modern factory located in Kundasale and will be supplied under the SPMC brand to hospitals. The Government spends Rs. 5 million per day to purchase basic intravenous solutions including Saline.

According to State Minister of Pharmaceutical Products, Supplies and Regulations Professor Channa Jayasumana who spoke to ‘Ceylon Today’, this money was paid to foreign countries in dollars but from 1 September those funds will remain in the country. The State Minister said it will enable Sri Lanka to save a net sum of US Dollars 5 million annually and that plans have been made to export the surplus of 25 million bottles of Saline.

He also said that it was possible to expedite and complete construction work of the Saline Manufacturing Factory under the guidance of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the programme, ‘A new country – new medicine.’

(Source: Ceylon Today – By J.T. De Silva)

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