Medicine prices increased as Sri Lanka banks on foreign assistance

Prices of medicines are set to rise again marking the third increase recorded in less than three months thereby putting patients and their caretakers into a further crisis.

The new Health Minister Prof Channa Jayasumana has issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification , allowing a price increase of 40% on a total of 60 varieties of medicinal drugs.

“Every trader, distributor, pharmacist, medical practitioner, dentist, veterinary surgeon, medical institution including a private medical institution, pharmacy or person who or which is in possession of the Scheduled Medicines for the purpose of sale shall maintain the price of the Scheduled Medicines at the maximum retail price or revised retail price whichever is less,” the Gazette notification said. 

However, persons in the pharmaceutical trade said that the fixing of the Maximum Retail Price was an upward revision of the prices.  The list includes some of the most commonly used drugs.

Pharmaceutical trade sources said that the revision of the prices will not be the last as with the rise of the dollar they would have to request  for a further increase.

“Even this increase has been granted after request made for several months when the dollar rate was much lesser”, an importer said.

He said that the current shortages were very much connected with the pricing as importers were reluctant to import with US dollar rate changing. “We do not want to import and suffer losses unnecessarily”, he said. 

Sri Lanka has been receiving medical donations from several countries and international agencies in the last few days. Among them have been Italy, Indonesia and India and the ICRC. Sri Lanka also has appealed to other countries and agencies. 

On Friday the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka  Gopal Baglay handed over a large consignment of drugs and other medical supplies to Minister Jayasumana.

The Indian Naval Ship Ghariyal was specially deployed for the expeditious delivery of the medical consignment which is a gift from the people of India.

“These medical supplies are in response to the request from Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya. Shortage of essential supplies in the Teaching Hospitalwas noted by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar during his visit to Sri Lanka in March 2022”, the Indian High commission said.
 
“More medical consignments in response to specific requests by various medical entities operating in all parts of Sri Lanka are also being scheduled from India. In addition, USD 200 million has been earmarked for the supply of medical supplies under the USD 1 billion credit line for essential commodities like food, medicine etc,” the release added.

Meanwhile, Health Workers during their recent protests against the government also have been voicing their concern over the shortage of drugs.

On Friday health workers and medical students staged protests around the Health Ministry. 

Pix by Eshan Fernando

Pic courtesy Indian High Commission