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A hospital sans drugs
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Large numbers of patients seek treatment at the hospital
The Divisional Hospital at Sigiriya is supposed to provides medical facilities not only to local residents, but to foreign tourists as well.
Unfortunately over the past few months, the stock of pharmaceuticals at the hospital has run out and and patients visiting the facility have been forced to purchase drugs from a private pharmacy in the neighbourhood
Villagers and patients complained that doctors at the hospital prescribe drugs and instruct them to make their purchases from the only private pharmacy in the area.
The Ven. Sigiriya Dhammananda Thera, a monk residing at a temple in the vicinity added the hospital also lacked adequate staff to meet the needs of the local population.
Ven. Dhamananda
He said though they had spoken to the health authorities regarding the shortage of medicines at the hospital to date no medicines had arrived despite the fact that thousands of tourists visited the area to see the famed Sigiriya rock fortress.
“The Ministry of Health has not taken steps to send adequate supplies of drugs to the hospital despite doctors having brought the shortage to their notice” he said.
Ven. Dhamananda emphasized that since the hospital was situated in an area drawing in a large numbers of tourists, an adequate stock of medicines was essential.
This private pharmacy is the only place where drugs are available
This hospital has doctors, nurses, patients but no drugs
Patients prescription-in-hand, sit hopefully awaiting the long expected medical supplies