News

Shortages: Auditor General’s report sheds light on many ills in health sector

Published

4 years ago

2022/07/14

By Saman Indrajith

The expenditure on medical supplies in the first quarter of 2022 was only Rs. 12.4 billion, a sharp drop from 2020 and 2021, the Auditor General’s Special Report on Procedures taken to avoid the Shortage of Pharmaceuticals in government hospitals by 13 May 2022, has revealed.

The amounts spent on medical supplies during the year 2020 and year 2021 were Rs. 83.5 billion and Rs. 73.6 billion respectively.

The actual quarterly average expenses on medical supplies in 2020 and 2021 were Rs. 20.8 billion and Rs. 18.4 billion respectively, the report has said.

The number of pharmaceutical items used in hospitals as Vital, Essential and Non-essential is 1,146; the number of surgical items is 8,648; the number of laboratory items is 3,900 and the number of the X-ray items is 44.

By 13 May, the number of Vital and Essential drugs out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals was 190 and 51 respectively. Besides, 2,724 and 2,156 Vital and Essential surgical items were out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals respectively at that time.

The number laboratory items and X-ray items out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals was 850 and 18 respectively.The report says the future annual requirement is estimated by the respective hospital authorities based on the consumption and the remaining stocks, and sent to the Medical Supplies Division 13 months prior to the month in which the supply is required.

In the process of procuring medical supplies, the Medical Supplies Division has to send orders to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation for the procurement of estimated items with a supply period of 11 months.

The report has stated that the National Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory was established under the National Medicine Regulatory Authority to assist in the process of verifying the standards of procured medical supplies. Cabinet approval was given, on 15 October 2009, for the five-year Development Plan from 2010 to 2015, which was prepared at a cost of Rs. 410 million to develop the infrastructure and human resources of the National Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory with a view to increasing the number of laboratory tests to check the quality of medical supplies.

According to the Manual on Management of Drugs, pharmaceuticals should be stored in well-ventilated spaces at specified temperatures. The Medical Supplies Division should maintain a secure stock for three months, and in addition to regular checks by a staff officer, sample testing should be done for the confirmation of the accuracy of drug storage and accounting.

The Auditor General’s report has said a number of other factors have contributed to shortages––poorly maintained computer system, lack of proper coordination and coordination between the Medical Supplies Division, the Ministry of Health, the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation of Sri Lanka, lack of regular monitoring, and progress of orders issued to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and noncompliance with the procurement schedule.

The AG has found that the Medical Supplies Division submitted lists of orders for the respective year to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka through MSMIS or PRONTO computer system with a lead time of 11 months, but the corporation had not immediately commenced procurement process for those orders and the procurement was delayed until written copies of the order list were received by the corporation.

It took more than 18 days to send the written copies of the orders to the Import Division of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation, and since procurement had only begun thereafter, part of the supply period of 11 months had elapsed. Pharmacists and senior officials in the Medical Supplies Division placed the order through the computer system, but there had been a delay in sending written documents., the Auditor General has said.

Although 41 orders out of 90 for eight vital items and essential items were issued by the computer system to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka in the first two months of the year, it had taken between 18 days and six months for the Import Division of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation to receive the written copies of the order lists, the report found.

This shows that there is a lack of coordination among the Medical Supplies Division, Ministry of Health, State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation, which are mainly involved in the management of medical supplies, the Auditor General has observed in his report.

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Latest News

Sun directly overhead Dehiwala, Maharagama, Pannipitiya, Padukka, Eheliyagoda, Maskeliya, Siyambalanduwa and Pottuvil at about 12:13 noon. today (07th)

Published

8 hours ago

2026/04/7

Priyan

On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka during 05th to 15th of April in this year.

The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (07th) are Dehiwala, Maharagama, Pannipitiya, Padukka, Eheliyagoda, Maskeliya, Siyambalanduwa and Pottuvil at about 12:13 noon.

Latest News

Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts.

Published

10 hours ago

2026/04/7

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 06 April 2026, valid for 07 April 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, North-western and Eastern provinces and Monaragala and Hambantota districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

News

SJB: Litro, Laugfs making a killing by selling old stocks at inflated prices

Published

11 hours ago

2026/04/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ananda Palitha

… as Lakvijaya falters, power plants need over 2 mn litres of fuel daily

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The SJB yesterday (06) said that the NPP government owed an explanation as to why Litro Gas Lanka Limited and Laugfs Gas PLC were allowed to increase the prices of old stocks of domestic gas. Litro and Laugfs have increased the prices of 12.5 kg cylinder by Rs. 775 to Rs. 4,765 and by Rs. 1,070, to Rs. 5,700, respectively.

Convener of the Samagi United Trade Union Force (SUTUF) and the Samagi Joint Trade Union Alliance Ananda Palitha said they were aware of the state-owned gas supplier Litro and the private sector enterprise making a killing at the expense of consumers.

Acknowledging that gas and fuel prices had to be increased in view of the disruptions to the regular supply route through Hormuz Strait, the former petroleum sector worker emphasised it wouldn’t be fair, under any circumstances, to apply a new pricing formula to old stocks.

Taking advantage of the new West Asia war, the government (CPC) and three foreign private suppliers, namely Lanka IOC, Sinopec and R.M. Parks, increased prices of old fuel stocks, Palitha alleged, adding that his accusations, previously reported in the front-page of The Island, haven’t been disputed.

Responding to our queries, Palitha pointed out that Sri Lanka experienced gas supply disruption even just before the eruption of the Iran war.

Warning that further electricity tariff increases were around the corner due to failure on the part of the country’s only coal-fired power plant Lakvijaya to produce the required electricity, Palitha blamed the developing crisis on the use of low-quality coal for power generation.

Referring to recent media reports of fuel powered power plants needing 800,000 litres, daily, to meet the shortfall due to the crisis at Lakvijaya, Palitha said that the actual requirement was much more. Kelanitissa Combined cycle power plant alone required 1.3 mn litres of diesel daily, Palitha said, alleging the country was paying a very heavy price for corruption and mismanagement by the current dispensation.

According to Palitha Kerawalapitiya (Yugadanavi) Combined Cycle Power Plant required 750,000 litres of black oil/furnace oil. Together, those two power plants, namely Kelanitissa and Yugadanavi, required over 2 mn litres per day, the trade unionist activist said, warning the government of frightening economic consequences.

Having explained the requirements of other power stations in operation, Palitha said that the situation was so bad that the CEB, about three days back, began buying fuel worth Rs 1.7 bn from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation on credit. Responding to another query, Palitha said that though the Iran war was having a major impact here, the NPP should accept responsibility for the corrupt coal deal and horrendous mismanagement of the power sector.

The government sought to downplay the crisis, claiming that Sri Lanka received Indian and Chinese support to meet its energy requirements, Palitha said. However, foreign powers were exploiting the situation here to advance their agendas, Palitha added, urging the government to come out clean.

India was increasing its hold on Sri Lanka, the trade union activist said, noting that Sri Lanka had recently declared its intention to develop a section of the Trincomalee oil tank farm together with India. According to Palitha, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had asked President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to fast-track the project.