As the government promises to end the medicine shortage by 2026, doctors warn of a worsening crisis. With over 100 life-saving drugs and surgical supplies missing from hospitals, patients are left vulnerable, and allegations of mismanagement, corruption, and failed procurement policies are mounting.
Sri Lanka’s healthcare system is once again on the brink of collapse as doctors reveal a severe shortage of more than 100 essential medicines and surgical equipment across major hospitals. Despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health and the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) that the crisis will be resolved by 2026, the situation has worsened with just weeks left before the new year.
Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, Chairman of the Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights, confirmed that the shortage includes critical life-saving drugs and surgical supplies required for emergency and routine procedures. He warned that patient care has already been severely hampered as hospitals struggle to maintain services without access to these vital items.
Among the drugs in short supply are IV Noradrenaline, IV cefotaxime, IV amicacine, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, inj adenosine, sodium nitroprusside, inj verapamil, isoprenaline, protamine sulphate, inj promethazine, GTN, and salbutamol oral solution. Surgical supplies such as prolene, polypropylene, nylon sutures, and knee implants are also scarce, leaving surgeons unable to carry out essential procedures safely.
Dr. Sanjeewa highlighted that the shortage has been building for over a year, describing it as a clear political and administrative failure. He directly attributed responsibility to senior health officials dating back to the tenure of former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, while also criticizing the current Minister of Health and the SPC for failing to resolve the crisis.
He further pointed out that government promises to stabilize drug supplies through cabinet papers and emergency decisions have consistently failed. Instead, hospitals have been forced into expensive local purchases due to depleted stocks in central medical supply units and drug stores. According to Dr. Sanjeewa, these local purchases result in heavy economic losses for the government and mask the lack of a sustainable procurement plan.
The union also accused the Ministry of Health Secretary of hiding behind temporary local procurement approvals for more than a year rather than establishing agreements with low-cost international suppliers. Dr. Sanjeewa said this shortsighted approach is a direct consequence of poor governance and monopolistic practices by the SPC and the Drug Regulatory Authority, who act arbitrarily instead of engaging with suppliers and manufacturers to stabilize the supply chain.
Concerns have also been raised that these institutions may be violating procurement principles under the guise of cabinet papers, with suspicions of corruption and mismanagement looming large. The Doctors’ Alliance announced that it is prepared to pursue legal action regarding several questionable procurement cases in the near future.
As the shortage intensifies, Sri Lanka’s patients are left at the mercy of a system struggling with weak governance, inflated costs, and a lack of accountability. With lives at risk, doctors warn that unless immediate corrective measures are taken, the promises of ending the crisis by 2026 will remain little more than empty rhetoric.
