Unpaid bills crippling health sector – CMLS

By Rathindra Kuruwita

A number of essential medical services including laboratories were grinding to a halt because the Ministry of Health had not paid suppliers to the tune of Rs. 10 billion, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President Ravi Kumudesh told The Island yesterday.

Kumudesh said suppliers had refused to continue the supply of medical items such as reagents for COVID testing. Several smaller medical supplying companies had closed down because of the delays in payments.

“Since there is a shortage of reagents, we have limited the COVID testing. Although the Ministry has to pay these companies Rs. 10 billion, the Finance Ministry has allocated only four billion rupees. Out of that only, Rs. 200 million has been sent for the first quarter of 2022,” Kumudesh said.

Kumudesh alleged that some senior officials continued to order expensive machines and reagents at higher prices.
“These are ordered from the companies of their friends. They don’t allow expensive machines received as donations to be used. Instead they purchase the same machines. At this rate, all labs at government health institutions will have to be closed,” Kumudesh warned.