News
Shortages: Auditor General’s report sheds light on many ills in health sector
By Saman Indrajith
The expenditure on medical supplies in the first quarter of 2022 was only Rs. 12.4 billion, a sharp drop from 2020 and 2021, the Auditor General’s Special Report on Procedures taken to avoid the Shortage of Pharmaceuticals in government hospitals by 13 May 2022, has revealed.
The amounts spent on medical supplies during the year 2020 and year 2021 were Rs. 83.5 billion and Rs. 73.6 billion respectively.
The actual quarterly average expenses on medical supplies in 2020 and 2021 were Rs. 20.8 billion and Rs. 18.4 billion respectively, the report has said.
The number of pharmaceutical items used in hospitals as Vital, Essential and Non-essential is 1,146; the number of surgical items is 8,648; the number of laboratory items is 3,900 and the number of the X-ray items is 44.
By 13 May, the number of Vital and Essential drugs out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals was 190 and 51 respectively. Besides, 2,724 and 2,156 Vital and Essential surgical items were out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals respectively at that time.
The number laboratory items and X-ray items out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals was 850 and 18 respectively.The report says the future annual requirement is estimated by the respective hospital authorities based on the consumption and the remaining stocks, and sent to the Medical Supplies Division 13 months prior to the month in which the supply is required.
In the process of procuring medical supplies, the Medical Supplies Division has to send orders to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation for the procurement of estimated items with a supply period of 11 months.
The report has stated that the National Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory was established under the National Medicine Regulatory Authority to assist in the process of verifying the standards of procured medical supplies. Cabinet approval was given, on 15 October 2009, for the five-year Development Plan from 2010 to 2015, which was prepared at a cost of Rs. 410 million to develop the infrastructure and human resources of the National Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory with a view to increasing the number of laboratory tests to check the quality of medical supplies.
According to the Manual on Management of Drugs, pharmaceuticals should be stored in well-ventilated spaces at specified temperatures. The Medical Supplies Division should maintain a secure stock for three months, and in addition to regular checks by a staff officer, sample testing should be done for the confirmation of the accuracy of drug storage and accounting.
The Auditor General’s report has said a number of other factors have contributed to shortages––poorly maintained computer system, lack of proper coordination and coordination between the Medical Supplies Division, the Ministry of Health, the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation of Sri Lanka, lack of regular monitoring, and progress of orders issued to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and noncompliance with the procurement schedule.
The AG has found that the Medical Supplies Division submitted lists of orders for the respective year to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka through MSMIS or PRONTO computer system with a lead time of 11 months, but the corporation had not immediately commenced procurement process for those orders and the procurement was delayed until written copies of the order list were received by the corporation.
It took more than 18 days to send the written copies of the orders to the Import Division of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation, and since procurement had only begun thereafter, part of the supply period of 11 months had elapsed. Pharmacists and senior officials in the Medical Supplies Division placed the order through the computer system, but there had been a delay in sending written documents., the Auditor General has said.
Although 41 orders out of 90 for eight vital items and essential items were issued by the computer system to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka in the first two months of the year, it had taken between 18 days and six months for the Import Division of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation to receive the written copies of the order lists, the report found.
This shows that there is a lack of coordination among the Medical Supplies Division, Ministry of Health, State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation, which are mainly involved in the management of medical supplies, the Auditor General has observed in his report.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasized that addressing the drug issue in the country must be treated as a national priority, highlighting that it must deliver results at the ground level.
A meeting to brief the Prime Minister on the National Strategic Plan for the Management, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Persons with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) 2026–2030 was held with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Health and Mass Media and other key stakeholders on 13th of March at the Temple Trees.
The discussion focused on the proposed national strategy developed to address the growing health, social and economic challenges associated with substance use disorders in Sri Lanka. The strategic plan aims to strengthen prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration services through a coordinated and evidence-based national approach.
During the meeting, attention was drawn to existing gaps in early identification of substance use disorders, continuity of care, community-based follow-up and reintegration of recovering individuals into society. The plan proposes several key interventions, including strengthening screening and symptomatic treatment at primary healthcare and outpatient levels, improving hospital-based treatment and follow-up services, expanding residential rehabilitation facilities, and enhancing community-based rehabilitation and relapse prevention programmes.
Special emphasis has also been placed on providing targeted support for vulnerable groups, including children and adolescents, pregnant women, mothers with children and prison inmates.
Speaking on the importance of strengthening the national response to drug issues, the Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya noted that the drug menace has evolved into a serious social crisis that threatens social stability and security of families and the nation as a whole highlighting that law enforcement and rehabilitation in this regard must be given equal priority.
The Prime Minister further underscored the importance of including public awareness initiatives and responsible media reporting as key components of the national strategy.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. Anil Jasinghe, officials from the Department of Prisons, Bureau of Rehabilitation, Sri Lanka Police Ministry of health, Ministry of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Justice and National Integration ,Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and other relevant department and ministries.
[Prime minister’s Media Division]
In light of the prevailing geopolitical developments in Middle East, the petroleum product supply chain has been adversely affected. At the same time, the demand for fuel has increased abnormally, resulting in a depletion of the country’s existing fuel stock. Therefore, it has become necessary to carefully manage the available fuel reserves in order to sustain the nation’s economic activities.
Furthermore, it has recently been observed that certain groups have been illegally purchasing fuel in excessive quantities. The Government of Sri Lanka intends to prevent such improper consumption and ensure an uninterrupted fuel supply for the day-to-day needs and economic activities of the general public.
Accordingly, a QR code system will be implemented with effect from 06.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026.
Fuel will not be issued by any operating filling station in the country without a valid QR code from 06.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026.
Steps to Obtain the QR Code
- Users who have already registered for the QR Code
- Users whose vehicle ownership and registered mobile number remain unchanged since their initial registration may download their QR Code from the website https://fuelpass.gov.lk/ starting from midnight on 14.03.2026, using the ‘Vehicle Login’ button.
- Users whose vehicle ownership or registered mobile number has changed since their last registration are required to re-register their details through the website https://fuelpass.gov.lk/ starting from 6.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026, using the ‘Vehicle Registration’ button.
- Users who have not previously registered for the QR Code and users with newly registered vehicles at
the RMV - Registration can be completed starting from 06.00 a.m. on 15.03.2026 through the
website https://fuelpass.gov.lk/, using the ‘Vehicle Registration’ button.
The number of litres allocated for each category of vehicle is stated below.
A special fuel issuance system will be implemented for vehicles required to support national production and essential services.
| Vehicle Class | Capacity control volume for fuel pass
(L) |
| Buses | 60 |
| Motor cycle | 5 |
| Van | 40 |
| Motor car | 15 |
| Motor Lorry | 200 |
| Land Vehicles | 25 |
| Three Wheeler | 15 |
| Special Purpose Vehicle | 40 |
| Quadricycle | 5 |
[Sri Lanka Transport Board will issue fuel to the private buses].
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) on Friday said the largest groundwater source discovered in Sri Lanka so far had been identified during tube-well drilling near the Pitabeddara Police Station.
Indrajith Gamage, geologist in charge of the Southern Province, said the source recorded a continuous flow of about 10,000 litres (10 cubic metres) per minute, marking the first instance in the country where a groundwater source of that magnitude had been found.
He noted that the previous largest groundwater source was discovered in the Madhu area, which recorded a flow of about 7,000 litres per minute.
According to the NWSDB, the tube well was drilled following geological studies of rock layers and the identification of underground water through fractures in rock strata using specialised technical instruments.
The Board said steps would be taken to distribute water from the newly discovered source to residents facing shortages in Pitabeddara, Morawaka and surrounding areas.
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QR code system will be implemented for fuel with effect from 06.00 a.m. today (15th)
Showers will occur at several places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara, Mannar and Anuradhapura districts after 2.00 pm.
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