Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemunu has downplayed reports of a severe medicine shortage, clarifying that despite widespread claims of a 180-drug deficit, the real number of medicines in short supply at hospitals is closer to 40.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Wijemunu acknowledged that Sri Lanka has long struggled with gaps in its pharmaceutical supply chain, which worsened significantly following the country’s economic crisis. He admitted that medicine shortages have persisted for years, and although the central medical warehouse sometimes shows a larger shortfall, this does not reflect the on-ground situation in hospitals.
“There is indeed a shortage, but not to the extent being reported. The 180-figure refers to central warehouse data, where medicines are being rapidly distributed. At hospital level, we are short of about 40 drugs,” he explained.
He also dismissed the notion that medicine services are collapsing. “Nothing has been shut down. The amount needed to purchase those 40 drugs is a fraction of what is claimed for all 180,” he added.
To mitigate the crisis, Dr. Wijemunu said the Ministry has increased funding for regional procurement more than what was spent on total drug purchases last year. Hospitals now have the authority to directly procure drugs if a shortage arises, even if the drug exists in the central database but isn’t accessible immediately.
The Minister emphasized that the long-term solution lies in maintaining a buffer stock of essential medicines. “We’ve proposed to the government to authorize the legal procurement of a three- to six-month supply of essential drugs to prevent future disruptions caused by tenders or delayed deliveries,” he said.
He was also firm in rejecting any suggestion that this stockpiling would lead to the importation of substandard medications, assuring the public that legal safeguards and quality controls would remain in place.
