Sri Lanka’s health system is facing a dangerous crisis as the life-saving papaverine vaccine, vital for heart surgeries, has vanished from hospitals despite earlier claims it was procured at a fraction of the price. With bypass surgeries now happening daily, patients’ lives are hanging in the balance.
A severe shortage of papaverine, an essential drug used in heart surgeries, has raised alarm among cardiothoracic surgeons across Sri Lanka. Although the Ministry of Health previously claimed that the drug, once costing 70,000 rupees, was now available for just 300 rupees under the current government, hospitals have been without stock for several months.
Cardiothoracic surgeons say this shortage is putting the lives of patients undergoing bypass and other heart surgeries at serious risk. The papaverine injection is crucial for maintaining blood flow during and after surgery, and without it, controlling circulation becomes impossible.
Dr. Chamal, Chairman of the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Union Alliance, condemned politicians for spreading misleading claims, accusing officials and the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of obstructing the procurement of critical medicines. He called for an urgent investigation into the officials who misled ministers and jeopardized patient safety.
Medical Supply Division officials acknowledged the shortage, pointing out that only one supplier registered with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority is authorized to import the vaccine. The dependency on a single supplier, combined with bureaucratic delays, has crippled the availability of the drug.
Deputy Director General of the Medical Supply Division, Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe, confirmed the shortage and said a special discussion was held to address the crisis. However, cardiothoracic specialists stressed that there is no substitute for papaverine, leaving patients vulnerable.
Previously, Dr. Savin Semage, former Executive Officer of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, revealed that the vaccine, valued at over 6,000 rupees per dose, could actually be obtained for around 350 rupees. Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni also reiterated this claim in Parliament, but despite such statements, hospitals remain without the drug.
With heart surgeries being performed daily, doctors are warning that the lack of papaverine could have devastating consequences. Until a sustainable solution is found, patients’ lives will remain at risk due to a preventable shortage.
