News
FSP warns govt. against giving India monopoly position in supplying drugs to state hospitals on eve of vital poll
By Rathindra Kuruwita
A Cabinet decision to award a contract to an Indian company to supply drugs to state hospitals through will have disastrous consequences to the country’s sovereignty, education secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda has warned.
Jayagoda told The Island that the government had no right to enter into important agreements that affected national security and sovereignty ahead of the presidential election.
“On 13 August 2024, Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirana presented a Cabinet paper, seeking approval for purchasing 37 types of drugs from an Indian company under emergency procurement basis. Almost all recent irregularities in the health sector had been due to such procurement practices, Jayagoda said.
Former Health Minister, Keheliya Rambukwelle is in remand prison because of such an irregularity. Now, minister Pathirana says there is a drug shortage, and no one has placed bids,” he said.
Jayagoda said the Sri Lankan procurement process operated on two principles, i.e., competitive bidding and granting the tender to the lowest bidder. The emergency procurement system violated both principles, he said.
“The second Cabinet paper is even more problematic. It was presented on 15 August 2024 and therein the Health Minister proposes to remove the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) as the supplier of drugs to state hospitals and replace it with an Indian company. State hospitals store 862 kinds of drugs, out of which 648 are used frequently. 474 are essential drugs. These drugs are now supplied by the Medical Supplies Division at the Health Ministry. The Medical Supplies Division gets most of the drugs from the SPC. About 90 percent of the drugs used in state hospitals are provided by the SPC,” Jayagoda said.
The FSP Education Secretary said that the Cabinet decision would lead to the collapse of the SPC, which was established by Prof. Senaka Bibile to protect the people from the pharmaceutical mafia. “He was killed in 1977 because of his struggle against the pharmaceutical mafia. In 2024, the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration is planning to destroy that vital institution,” he said.
Health Minister Pathirana was not immediately available for comment.
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]
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