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Without investment into laboratories, SL will be plagued by low quality medicine – Expert
By Rathindra Kuruwita
While 80 percent of medicinal drugs are imported, Sri Lanka does not have facilities to test these drugs, and there is nothing to prevent more bad drugs from entering Sri Lanka in the future, former Chief Epidemiologist of the Ministry of Health and former President of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL), Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, said.
He added that when the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) was established in 2015, then Health Minister Rajitha Senarathne promised to establish a laboratory within a short period.
“In the first decades following independence, we spent a lot of money on healthcare. However, this has changed in the past few decades. We have neglected to do things that are of utmost importance. I was at the epidemiology unit for 21 years, and because we know we can’t test drugs or vaccines, we do a lot of desk research before ordering any drug. This is what we have been doing as doctors,” he said.
Dr. Abeysinghe added that when registering a drug in Sri Lanka, a group of experts conducts their own independent survey on the quality of the drug. Those in charge of registration, currently the NMRA, study reports on drug trials, journey articles, reports on whether there have been any side effects, etc.
“This process has been disrupted in the past few years, and we are now seeing the consequences. There are issues with the Indian-made anaesthetic Bupivacaine. A few months ago, Prednisolone eye drops, another Indian drug, made a number of people lose their eyesight. This is a medium-term result of the economic crisis. The short-term consequences were the queues,” he said.
Dr. Abeysinghe said Sri Lanka is facing a serious nutrition crisis, and the consequences of this will be felt in the long term.
“We have got both the above-mentioned drugs from the Indian credit line. Perhaps we need to buy drugs from an Indian manufacturer under the credit line, but we could have done our research and found a good company. There are good drug manufacturers in India,” he said. The former chief epidemiologist said that he has been listening to the statements of senior officials and politicians about the deaths caused by low-quality drugs.
“They are taking it lightly. The NMRA head said that some drugs can have side effects, whether they are registered or not. This is also probably an indication that they know there will be other cases like this. If you look at the circular asking doctors not to use the anesthetic drug, the Health Ministry says that this is an unregistered drug. So they have released an unregistered drug for use in surgeries. How is this acceptable?” he asked.
Dr. Abeysinghe said that Sri Lankan governments have not understood health priorities. Visionaries like Dr. Senaka Bibile have been talking about the need to establish a high-tech lab to test imported medicines since 50–60 years ago, he said.
“These visionaries were ignored. However, thanks to the work of the Sri Lankan medical establishment, the consequences of the lack of testing facilities have not been disastrous until now. However, now we are seeing the consequences of our lack of investment,” he said.
A large number of medical practitioners also left the country following the economic crisis, he said. Most Sri Lankan specialist doctors are trained in the United Kingdom or Australia, so they find it easy to migrate, Dr. Abeysinghe, who was also a WHO consultant, said.
“Regular doctors sat for entrance exams to join the medical services of other countries. Some left after finding jobs, and others left expecting to find jobs. Most doctors have found jobs. A lot of nurses and medical technicians are also leaving the country. We are seeing the impact,” he said.
The Ceylon Electricity Board has appealed to all rooftop solar owners across the country to voluntarily switch off their solar systems during day time hours (until 3pm each day) from April 13th to 21st to prevent partial power outages or nationwide blackouts which may occur.
The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the people of Sri Lanka should no longer be burdened by conflict and the Government remains committed to ensuring peace and stability across the country, with the government and the public service must discharge their duties to meet the needs of the people.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing public gatherings held in Velanai, Nallur, and Vadamarachchi.
The Prime Minister said that:
“There are numerous issues regarding infrastructure development in the Northern Province ranging from roads, drinking water supply, agriculture, and unemployment, to education and health sectors.
Many of these development tasks fall under the responsibility of local governments and provincial councils that represents your areas. However, these responsibilities have not been properly discharged.
While it is said that the issues raised in the North and East were caused by the war, 16 years have passed since the end of the war. What real change has taken place? Have the lives of the people in these areas has improved?
Although the central government allocates funds to provincial governing bodies, there should be a transparent mechanism in place to ensure that these funds are properly utilized for the relevant projects.
On May 6th, you will hold the decisive right to elect the local government closest to you that will work to uplift your lives and develop your communities. Elect representatives who are committed to serving the people, and free of fraud and corruption.
The government is actively participating in lifting the country from its fallen state and to overcome the current economic challenges. We accept that there is a long way to go. The prices of goods are still high but the government is currently working towards a change, and the people will receive the benefits in the near future.
Measures have been taken to increase the basic salary of public servants from this year’s Budget. The public service must commit to discharging duties with dedication. This must be not only a people’s government, but also a public service that belongs to the people.
Even after the independence, this country has seen much bloodshed and conflict. The people have suffered greatly as a result. The government is determined to ensure that such a situation never arises again. Therefore, the government is committed to fostering peace within the country.”
The event was attended by Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekar, along with several Members of Parliament and local representatives in the North.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
A meeting organized by the National Initiative for Research & Development Commercialization (NIRDC) was held on Thursday (10) at the Presidential Secretariat to streamline and commercialize research and development activities in the defence sector.
Participating institutions included the Centre for Defence Research and Development under the Ministry of Defence, the Sri Lanka Army, Navy and Air Force, the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and the Research and Development Division of the Sri Lanka Police.
The NIRDC Unit, established under the Presidential Secretariat, aims to accelerate national development by facilitating investment opportunities to commercially apply completed or nearing completion research projects from both public and private institutions.
Defence institutions play a critical role for the progress of technology and science in relation to national security and development. Acknowledging this importance, the meeting was chaired by Senior Advisor to the President on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasuriya.
During the meeting, it was discussed in detail regarding the completed and on-going research and development projects within the defence sector, as well as those planned for the future. Special attention was given to identifying opportunities for collaboration among research and development units, enhancing innovation capabilities, and exploring ways to share resources effectively.
The discussion focused on identifying opportunities for collaboration between research and development units relevant to these sectors, enhancing innovation capabilities and exploring ways to share resources effectively. It also examined possible steps to strengthen coordination between civil and defence research institutions. The discussion concluded productively, with several innovations identified that have the potential for future commercialization.
The event was attended by Senior Additional Secretary to the President (Finance and Economic Affairs) . Russel Aponsu, NIRDC Director General Dr. Muditha D. Senarath Yapa, Director (Investments) . Idunil Gunathilaka along with other officials.
[PMD]
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