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Amid the economic crisis in the country, one of the most encouraging signs has been the spontaneous support from the international community; at a time the country needs them the most.

While battling the economic crisis on different fronts, one areas which poses a big challenge to the Government is ensuring the continuous supply of medicines and medical equipment for the people.  

Sri Lanka’s public health system was taxed to the maximum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the skill and competence of doctors, nursing staff and other medical personnel the country managed to handle the pandemic reasonably well.

Today the health sector faces challenges of a different type. Ensuring adequate stocks of medicinal drugs and equipment are available in both the public and private sector is a formidable task in a cash strapped economy.

There have been many reports of shortages of drugs and medical equipment in diverse sections of the health sector. One of the most tragic reports have been in regard to the shortages of pain killers used to ease the sufferings of cancer patients at the Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama. Another heart rending report speaks of the shortage of drugs at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo.

A media report quoted Lady Ridgeway Hospital Director G. Wijesuriya saying there was a ten percent medicine shortage at the hospital.

According to him essential medicines are also included in the list of medicines in short supply. Dr. Wijesuriya also said despite the unavailability of several medications, the Hospital had not suspended any treatment or surgeries.

The impact of the shortage of drugs at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital can be understood when one realises the Lady Ridgeway Hospital caters to the poorest of the poor for whom getting medical attention for their children is near impossible if the Hospital shuts them out.

Among the many reports of drug shortages is the shortage of drugs prescribed for heart patients and those necessary for essential surgeries. These reports are often from Government hospital sources themselves and their veracity cannot be doubted.

Another tragic story reported by the media a few weeks back was the case of a young child from Anuradhapura who had been bitten by a snake. While playing cricket with his friends, the boy had put his hand in a bush to retrieve the ball and was bitten by a snake.

The boy’s father rushed him to the nearest Government Hospital where he was administered with the necessary initial medication. It was necessary to administer another anti-venom drug but it was not available in the hospital, so the doctor gave the father a prescription so he could purchase it from a private pharmacy.

The desperate father went to every pharmacy in the town but could not purchase the drug as it was not available. Consequently the boy passed away.

This reflects the situation in the country very well. In normal times this anti-venom drug would be readily available in the Government hospitals as the need to treat snake victims would be almost routine, particularly in rural Sri Lanka.

There may be other similar stories which are unreported leaving the families of victims to suffer silently. However such incidents of suffering caused by the shortage of drugs should galvanise those in authority to renew the efforts to meet this challenge.

As mentioned earlier the silver lining amid the economic crisis faced by the country is the spontaneous support that has been extended by friends of Sri Lanka from all around the world. Since the economic crisis erupted there are almost daily reports of assistance in the form of donations of medicines and medical equipment from all over the globe.

The list of donors is quite impressive and heart warming. The United Nations and its agencies, multilateral bodies, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, the European Union, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran are some of the countries that come to mind but the list is not exhaustive with several others too chipping in.

The significance of the helping hands that have reached out to Sri Lanka is that, in addition to governmental donations, there has been support from non-governmental organisations and peoples organisations as well.

The question that arises is, with the drugs that the Government imports and the substantial donations of drugs coming in, does the country need to face such an acute shortage of drugs?

Pharmaceutical industry sources point out that the time period from placing orders to receiving the relevant drugs can take as long as one year, thus contributing to the shortage.

Health Minister Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella has promised to streamline the procurement process for medicinal drug imports to meet the needs of the people.

It is necessary that the management of limited medicine stocks are streamlined to identify the gaps in the continuous availability of drugs, after taking into account the imports and donations received.  This will help the Government to obtain further assistance from friendly countries and other sources in the short run.

The Government and Health Ministry may be already engaged in this task which is well and good.

If not the Government needs to adopt this and other strategies to meet the needs of the people. For many, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, it could be a matter of life and death.

(javidyusuf@gmail.com)