News
GMOA: Politicians lie when they deny shortages at state-run hospitals
By Sujeewa Thathsara, Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon and Chaminda Silva
Patients’ lives are in danger due to shortages of drugs, Secretary of the All Ceylon Medical Officers’ Association (ACMOA), Dr. Jayantha Bandara says. Dr. Bandara said that even leading hospitals in the country including the National Hospital, Colombo, faced shortages.
“There are crippling shortages of surgical equipment, pain killers, cancer drugs, medicines used for common non-communicable diseases and widely used medicines for children. Some of these drugs are over,” he said.
Dr. Bandara warned that the health sector will collapse in a few months unless remedial action was taken urgently.
“A lot of government hospitals ask patients to buy medicine from private pharmacies. However, the prices of medicines have increased by 400 percent in the past few months. People just can’t afford to buy medicines from the private sector,” he said.
ACMOA Secretary said that the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) could import drugs at reasonable prices and release them to the market. However, the SPC had done precious little to import and sell drugs or make the best use of the Indian credit lines, he said.
“This is the responsibility of the SPC. Even top-tier Colombo hospitals like the National Hospital and the Eye Hospital are facing severe shortages. Do we even need to talk about rural hospitals? The lives of people are at risk,” Dr. Bandara said, adding that doctors had been compelled to postpone surgeries because of drug and equipment shortages. “This has made thousands of patients vulnerable.
“The government needs to address this situation immediately, he said. Moreover, resident patients do not receive nutritious meals at hospitals, he said.
“The Health Ministry is not managing the crisis at all. For example, doctors at the Eye Hospital are compelled to ask patients to buy all kinds of medicine and equipment from the private sector. Most people can’t afford them. What can the doctors do? A lot of doctors are now involved in fundraising. However, that becomes a problem when government ministers say there are no medical shortages,” he said.
These contradictory statements are confusing potential donors, Dr. Bandara added. A lot of philanthropists have contacted doctors’ unions and health ministry and have sought clarifications, he said.
“We try to tell them what the situation here is. But some of the health ministry officials say that there are no shortages. A number of doctors have told me that there is a drop in donations as well. Also, we have no idea about what had happened to the Indian credit line. It was revealed in Parliament that India had allocated a few hundred million dollars for medical supplies, but what has happened to that? No one seems to know,” he said.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict – PM
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Navy seizes 02 Indian fishing boats poaching in northern waters
Prime Minister participates in high-level bilateral meetings at World Economic Forum
Dushmantha Chameera, Dhananjaya de Silva return for England ODIs
T20 World Cup crisis: PCB writes to ICC supporting Bangladesh’s stance
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