Sri Lanka President orders urgent measures to prevent medicine shortages

A key discussion on improving Sri Lanka’s medicine supply process was held this afternoon (July 22) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.

The meeting was led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and attended by Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Deputy Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, and senior officials from the Ministry of Health.

The focus of the discussion was on strengthening the procurement and distribution of medicines across the country. President Dissanayake instructed officials to streamline the entire system and ensure that essential medicines are continuously available to the public, without any shortages or delays.

During the meeting, attention was drawn to the existing issues in the procurement and distribution processes. The President urged officials to address these weaknesses immediately. In cases where medicine shortages have already occurred in certain hospitals, he called for swift action to resolve them and prevent future occurrences.

He also emphasized the need for the prompt development of long-term plans to maintain a stable medicine supply system.

President Dissanayake noted that the Treasury has already allocated the required funds for supplying medicines to hospitals, and he stressed the importance of utilizing these resources effectively.

Finally, the President highlighted the responsibility of all stakeholders in the healthcare system to work together to provide the people of Sri Lanka with reliable, high-quality healthcare services.