The Ministry of Health has placed advance orders for 862 essential medicines and over 5,000 surgical items required for 2025, marking the first time such a proactive measure has been taken, Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa announced.
Key institutions, including the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC), and the Medical Supplies Division (MSD), are collaborating to streamline the procurement process.
“For the first time in history, the MSD has, by January 31, placed an order for 862 essential medicines and surgical items needed for the next year through the SPC. This was made possible due to the voluntary service of employees in these institutions,” Minister Jayathissa stated.
Additionally, the NMRA has significantly reduced its backlog of 2,100 pending drug registrations to 447, with 330 files processed in January alone.
The Minister acknowledged that delays in medical supply distribution have been a persistent issue, with state pharmaceutical procurement taking up to nine months. To further improve efficiency, the government has already begun placing orders for 2026 medical supplies.
