Sri Lanka’s public health system is under intense scrutiny as allegations of toxic drug imports, regulatory failures, and possible patient deaths trigger a high-level corruption complaint demanding urgent answers and full accountability.
The President of the Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, has filed a formal complaint with the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption, calling for a comprehensive investigation into the drug procurement mechanism linked to the suspected bacterially toxic Ondansetron vaccine.
According to the complaint, the current State Pharmaceuticals Corporation manufactured and imported the controversial drug into Sri Lanka last year and again this year. The filing raises serious concerns about how these medicines were approved, imported, and distributed within the state health system.
Dr. Sanjeewa further alleges that the Drug Regulatory Authority continued to issue permits to selected companies and local agents despite more than five reported cases of drug quality deterioration. He claims there is credible information suggesting that patients may have died after receiving these substandard medicines, escalating the issue from regulatory negligence to a potential public health tragedy.
The complaint also requests a thorough investigation into the current governing board of the Drug Regulatory Authority, questioning whether regulatory oversight has been compromised. It highlights that nearly nine recently discontinued drugs were imported only months ago and stored without meeting proper standards. As a result, the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation and the Medical Supply Unit are suspected of causing massive financial losses to the country. Dr. Sanjeewa has demanded accountability from the officials responsible.
When reports of substandard drugs first surfaced, former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella appointed a committee chaired by Specialist Dr. Dedunu Dias. However, Dr. Sanjeewa notes that the findings of this committee have never been made public. He has questioned why the current Health Minister has once again appointed a committee led by the same specialist, raising concerns about transparency and independence.
He also accused the Health Ministry of failing to openly address suspicious deaths occurring in hospitals and stressed that, nearly two weeks after the discovery of the bacterially toxic vaccines, the public still has not been informed whether drug samples were sent to an international standard laboratory for testing.
Additionally, Dr. Sanjeewa called for the immediate release of audit reports relating to corruption and fraud at the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation and the Drug Regulatory Authority, audit inquiries at the Colombo National Hospital, and explanations for delays in establishing a proper quality control laboratory for the Drug Regulatory Authority.
He further warned that the outdated data system of the Medical Supply Unit poses a serious risk to national healthcare management. Compounding the crisis, he revealed severe shortages of essential medicines across hospitals islandwide, including anesthetic drugs, antibiotics, post eye surgery medications, surgical instruments, pediatric seizure control drugs, and treatments for respiratory diseases.
