A critical shortage of AVF needles has left Sri Lanka’s kidney patients in grave danger, with both the public and private sectors reporting zero stocks. Thousands of patients who depend on daily dialysis are now facing the terrifying prospect of interrupted treatment, while health authorities remain under fire for failing to act swiftly.
The Alliance of Doctors for Medical and Civil Rights sounded the alarm, warning that the supply crisis has reached its peak. Its chairman, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, revealed that for months the hospital system has been grappling with severe shortages of medicines, injections, and essential dialysis equipment. “This has now escalated to the most critical stage. Kidney patients are the worst affected, and their lives are hanging by a thread,” he said.
According to Dr. Sanjeewa, the lack of proper planning and inefficiency in the procurement process has worsened the crisis. He criticized health authorities for failing to diversify suppliers and place timely orders, resulting in widespread shortages across the island’s hospitals. Essential medical items such as surgical gauze pads, chemical testing kits, radiology services, and injection supplies are also in dangerously low supply, leaving doctors and patients equally helpless.
For patients who rely on dialysis multiple times a week, the shortage of AVF needles is a death sentence. Without access to the crucial equipment, thousands are left scrambling for alternatives, often forced to seek private treatment at enormous personal cost. “This failure will push patients into unbearable financial burdens. The government must act before more lives are lost,” Dr. Sanjeewa warned.
The crisis has sparked outrage among medical professionals, who argue that kidney patients cannot wait for bureaucratic delays or political excuses. They stress that dialysis treatment is not optional but a matter of survival. Each missed session heightens the risk of fatal complications such as heart failure, fluid overload, or poisoning from waste buildup in the blood.
The Alliance of Doctors for Medical and Civil Rights has urged the Ministry of Health to hold immediate high-level discussions and establish an efficient supply chain mechanism. They insist that both state and private sector suppliers must be involved in ensuring uninterrupted access to lifesaving equipment.
Kidney disease is one of Sri Lanka’s most pressing public health issues, with tens of thousands of patients requiring regular dialysis. The shortage of AVF needles has therefore become more than a supply-chain problem—it is now a humanitarian crisis. Unless urgent action is taken, doctors warn the country could see a surge in preventable deaths.
