The Sri Lankan Government will fully fund the procurement of all immunisation vaccines required by the country next year, Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said.
The Minister made the announcement yesterday (September 30) at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo during an event marking the 49th death anniversary of the late Professor Senaka Bibile and the 55th anniversary of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC).
The event was jointly organised by the SPC, the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) and the Professor Senaka Bibile Commemoration Foundation. A floral tribute was also paid to Professor Bibile, who was the founder of Sri Lanka’s National Drug Policy and the first Chairman of the SPC.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Jayatissa said the government had made significant progress in restoring the country’s medicine supply system following a difficult period. He said the availability of medicines in government hospitals had increased from around 50 percent to 96 percent.
The Minister said the SPC currently supplies 862 types of medicines to government hospitals, while arrangements are being made to supply around 5,800 surgical items. The government has allocated Rs. 185 billion annually for the procurement of medicines and surgical equipment.
He added that suppliers whose technical and documentary requirements have been cleared are being paid without unnecessary delays.
Minister Jayatissa acknowledged that administrative and procurement procedures can sometimes take longer than the actual manufacturing process for medicines. He said steps are being taken to reduce these delays and establish a more efficient and stable pharmaceutical supply system.
He also said emergency procurement would remain necessary in certain circumstances, but acknowledged that past misuse of emergency purchasing procedures had created difficulties. Measures are being taken to improve transparency and ensure such mechanisms are used appropriately, he said.
The Minister called for greater cooperation among the government, universities, medical professionals and the private sector to strengthen local pharmaceutical production and build a more efficient and transparent health system.
He further stressed the importance of applying the principles and technical thinking associated with Professor Senaka Bibile to the challenges facing Sri Lanka’s pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors today.
The commemorative lecture was delivered by Professor Senaka Pilapitiya, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Moratuwa, who discussed the relevance of Professor Bibile’s vision to contemporary health and pharmaceutical policy.
Special addresses were also delivered by SPC Chairman Specialist Dr. Indika Wanninayake, SPMC Chairman Dr. Ajith Shanmuganathan and Professor Senaka Bibile Commemoration Foundation Chairperson and Consultant Radiologist Dr. Rupa Kannangara.
