No cesarean medication in Kalutara - Sajith tells Parliament, Keheliya says NO

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's health minister has come under fire for failing to take necessary measures to prevent the loss of life linked to alleged substandard drug imports.

In the latest development, the country's opposition leader, Sajith Premadasa revealed that a state hospital in the Western Province is facing a serious shortage of medication required to perform cesarean operations.

He quoted a letter from the Directress of the Kalutara Teaching Hospital, Dr. S. M. P. Karunaratne revealing that the hospital is in short supply of the Heavy Marcaine drug used for elective cesarean section surgeries.

"She says only 17 vials of this drug is left. These vials are being maintained for extremely essential requirements. Therefore, cesarean surgeries have been suspended at the Kalutara Teaching Hospital," he told the house.

However, according to Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, the State Finance Minister, the Finance Ministry has given top priority to releasing funds for medicines and medical requirements.

Keheliya Rambukwella, the Health Minister of the island nation of 22 million people reprimanded the Directress of the Kalutara Teaching Hospital noting that if there was a shortage, she should have informed it to the Medical Supplies Division.

He told Parliament that 30,000 vials of Heavy Marcaine drug are in stock, and more vials were delivered to the Kalutara Teaching Hospital.