Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa says the current shortage of certain medicines in the country is the result of the previous government’s failure to follow proper tender procedures in procurement.
He noted that Rs. 3.5 billion has been allocated for hospitals to make regional purchases in order to minimize the shortage.
“The present lack of supply is because tenders were not called last year. If tenders had been awarded properly, medicines would be available now. For the coming year, tenders have already been completed. To address the temporary shortage, Rs. 3.5 billion has been allocated for regional purchases by hospitals. In addition, discussions are being held with several countries to obtain donations and sign MoUs, which will also help ease the situation,” the minister said. (Newswire)
