News

‘Health sector heading for total breakdown’

Published

3 years ago

2023/02/11

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Sri Lanka health sector would face a serious crisis within a few weeks, if shortages of medicines, surgical equipment, and chemicals used in labs, are not addressed now, President of the College of Anaesthesiologists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka (CAISL), Dr. Anoma Perera, said on Thursday evening, addressing a press conference, in Colombo.

She said that most of the essential drugs used by anesthesiologists had run out. The stocks at the medical supplies division were zero, she said.

“There are no painkillers or drugs used for local anesthesia. This affects all sectors. We won’t be able to maintain emergency services, and caesarean surgeries. This is not a situation in the government hospitals only, the drug shortages are affecting all,” she said.

There are irregularities and mismanagement still and these are also hastening the crisis. In the next few months, the health sector might be compelled to maintain only the most emergency services,” she said.

Dr. Perera also urged Sri Lankans to manage their health, through behavioral means, and take precautions to minimize the risk of accidents.Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President, Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, said that the health sector is facing a severe crisis due to the shortage of medicines, surgical equipment, and chemicals, used in labs.

He said that prices of these items have gone up tremendously and that the entire health sector has been adversely affected.

“In April 2022, we informed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa that there will be a serious crisis by the first quarter of 2023. We have also worked with doctors to manage scarcities. The health staff in hospitals have done their best to ensure there was no collapse,” he said.

However, the drug management cycle is complicated and there are laws and regulations to ensure that lives of patients are not in danger. SLMA has given recommendations on drug management and works with doctors that are at the grassroots, he said.

“In the last 18 months, we have been telling officials about the emerging threats. We have also reached out to Sri Lankans, out of the country, seeking help. However, these stop gap measures are not enough. The government must identify that this is an emergency situation and take immediate steps. If not, we are in serious trouble,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama, of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, said most hospitals do not even have the facilities to conduct basic blood tests.

“Some hospitals can’t even print x-rays. They ask patients to bring a CD so they can burn the images into it”, he said.

Prof. Priyadharshani Galappatty, Professor of Pharmacology, at the University of Colombo, said that the government has not used the Indian credit line optimally.

The SLMA has asked the government to hold weekly meetings with representatives of the medical sector and take their input, only to import the critically required medicine.

“We had our first meeting with the Secretary to the Ministry of Health,” she said.

Prof. Galappatthy mentioned that a number of unregistered drugs are also coming in through the use of Indian credit lines.

“If we bring in low quality medicine, this would be a colossal waste. We have given recommendations to the Ministry. We must also establish a centralized system so everyone knows what we have got, and what is needed,” she said.

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Whistleblowers ask Treasury Chief to resign over theft of USD 2.5 mn

Published

23 hours ago

2026/04/24

Thilina Walpola

Payment made to new account number outside agreement

Civil society group ‘Free Lawyers’, which exposed the payment of USD 2.5 mn loan instalment by the Treasury to a third party instead of Australia, yesterday (23) said that in spite of the Treasury having the legitimate bank account mentioned in the relevant agreement, the payment had been made to another account subsequently received from a person who had been in contact with some senior officials.

Civil society activist Keerthi Tennakoon on behalf of ‘Free Lawyers’ emphasised that the account number mentioned in the agreement couldn’t be changed without approval of the Secretary to the Treasury Harshana Suriyapperuma, who is also the Secretary to the Finance Ministry. Suriyapperuma, who quit his National List seat to receive the top appointment, should be held responsible for the unprecedented development, Tennakoon said.

If the Treasury had followed the time-tested procedures in place, a new bank account couldn’t have been introduced, and therefore a thorough investigation was required to reveal the truth.According to Free Lawyers, the scam had been detected by relatively junior officer and not those higher ups.

Free Lawyers’ would continue to follow the developments to ensure transparency in the investigations, Tennakoon said, noting that Suriyapperuma should step down as he was aware of a third party securing root access to the system in September 2025 but failed to take action to prevent the scam. Tennakoon said that the NPPer hadn’t informed relevant authorities, and altogether 16 officials were involved in the scam.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Hambantora port sets new record

Published

23 hours ago

2026/04/24

Thilina Walpola

MSC Marie Leslie at Hambantota port

Hambantota International Port (HIP) successfully handled container vessel MSC Marie Leslie, marking one of its highest-volume vessel calls to date. The achievement further strengthens the port’s position as an emerging hub for containerised cargo in the region, according to HIP press release.

The vessel, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), was berthed at HIP from 11 to 15 April 2026. The port achieved 7,968 container moves during this period, translating to a total volume of 13,260 TEUs; the highest single-vessel throughput recorded by HIP to date.

This latest milestone surpasses previous records, including 12,957 TEUs handled on MSC Ilenia and 11,369 TEUs on MSC Ruby in March this year, reflecting a steady upward trend in the port’s container handling performance.

News

US sinking of Iranian frigate off Sri Lanka unprecedented war crime Araghchi tells Vijitha

Published

23 hours ago

2026/04/24

Thilina Walpola

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told his Sri Lankan counterpart Vijitha Herath that US sinking of Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lankan waters was an unprecedented war crime.

Of some 180 crew only 30 odd personnel survived.

While referring to crimes committed by the United States and Israel against Iran, Araghchi has stressed that they would never forget this crime, which constitutes a grave violation of the fundamental rules of international humanitarian law and the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and would employ all legal and political means to hold the perpetrators and those responsible accountable and bring them to justice.

Araghchi has said so during a telephone conversation with Herath regarding the ongoing West Asia conflict and related developments.

During the phone call, Araghchi expressed appreciation for the Sri Lankan government’s efforts in the rescue operation for the sailors of the IRIS Dena and for assisting in the transfer of the bodies of the crew of the vessel and other Iranian naval personnel back to Iran, according to the Iranian Embassy in Sri Lanka.

US sank Dena as it along with two other Iranian vessels awaited Sri Lanka approval to enter the Colombo port. Iranian ambassador in Colombo Dr. Alireza Delkhosh is on record as having said that the Commander of Sri Lanka Navy invited the Iranian ships to visit Colombo following their participation in International Fleet review and Milan 2026 held in India in late Feb. All Iranian vessels had been unarmed at that time in keeping with protocols regarding the participation in such events.