Representatives of several professional and civil society organizations staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Health yesterday, calling for the suspension of the proposed Sri Lanka–India Health Agreement and a complete halt to the importation of substandard medicines from India.
The protesters demanded that the agreement, which they claim has not been made public, be reviewed by a technical evaluation committee before any implementation. They urged the authorities to disclose the contents of the agreement and reassess its potential impact on Sri Lanka’s health system.
In parallel with the protest, the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Trade Unions handed over a letter to the Secretary to the Ministry of Health. The letter called for the immediate suspension of drug procurement under the Indian Pharmacopoeia, the approval of related pharmaceutical companies, and the distribution of what they described as substandard medicines within the state hospital system.
Addressing the gathering, medical expert Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa warned that there was a heightened risk of substandard medicines entering Sri Lanka from January next year. He urged the government not to register any Indian pharmaceutical company, intermediary, or local representative institution without obtaining proper technical approval following factory inspections.
Dr. Sanjeewa further stressed that the President should urgently appoint a technical committee to gather observations and assess public concerns that the Sri Lanka–India Health Agreement could seriously undermine the quality and safety of the country’s health system.
Referring to past incidents involving medicines imported from India, he also called for all relevant pharmaceutical companies to be subjected to continuous monitoring through a special technical committee until next year to prevent potential complications and risks to patients.
