Sri Lanka’s Health Minister appoints Experts’ committee to probe recent controversial deaths due to drug allergies

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella has appointed a 7-member experts’ committee in order to conduct a full investigation on the recent controversial deaths of patients in government hospitals within the last few months and other issues in the health sector.
The experts’ committee will be helpful in providing better health services to the people in the hospital system in the country, Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.
The following are the members of the committee:
- Professor Chandima Jeewandara – Professor in Allergy and Immunology
- Professor Priyadarshani Galappaththi – Professor of Pharmacology
- Dr. Senitha Liyanage – Consultant Emergency Physician
- Professor Nithushi Samaranayake – Professor in Pharmacy
- Professor S.S.P Warnakulasuriya – Professor in Nursing
- Dr. Philip H. Li. – Board Director Asia Pacific Association of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology
Minister said the committee comprises experts who have extensive knowledge and understanding of both medicine and nursing, as well as allergies.
Accordingly, this 7-member experts’ committee will conduct a full investigation into all the controversial deaths and submit a report to Sri Lanka’s Health Minister.
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This Minister should step down from his portfolio.
The situation is, of course, difficult with money hard to come by.
But that does not mean a reduction of standards that permit low quality untested drugs.