Sri Lanka faces a worsening national health crisis as drug shortages extend until the end of 2025. Critical medications for cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and mental illnesses are vanishing from both public and private shelves, while pharmacies struggle with a 30% supply drop. Patients are left in despair.
Sri Lanka’s Drug Shortage Expected to Last Until End of 2025, with Private Pharmacies Reporting 30% Supply Drop
Sri Lanka’s critical shortage of medicines is expected to persist until the end of 2025, worsening an already dire public health situation. Officials warn that the procurement process for 56 essential drugs currently out of stock will be delayed by at least nine months, leaving patients without reliable access to life-saving treatments for over a year.
According to the February 2025 monthly report by the Department of Medical Supplies, there are 333 essential medicines officially in stock. However, many of these are in dangerously limited quantities and do not include some of the most urgently needed treatments.
Essential drugs used to treat chronic and life-threatening conditions such as cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and mental illnesses are reportedly running low across both government and private hospitals. This shortage has left thousands of patients without access to consistent care, prompting public outcry and placing additional pressure on an already overwhelmed healthcare system.
Among the most affected are patients dependent on cancer medications, insulin for diabetes, anti-epileptics, psychiatric drugs, and Jeevani, a widely used oral rehydration solution. These drugs are either unavailable entirely or priced so high in the private market that they are effectively out of reach for most citizens.
Private pharmacies across the country are also reeling from the impact, reporting a more than 30% decline in overall supply. Many retailers are now unable to fulfill prescriptions, leading to desperate searches by patients and their families.
Health sector experts warn that unless immediate corrective measures are taken, the long-term implications for public health could be catastrophic. The current shortage not only threatens lives but also undermines trust in the country’s medical infrastructure.
With no quick fix in sight, the government faces mounting pressure to prioritize the procurement and distribution of essential medicines, or risk a full-scale collapse in public healthcare.
