High Commissioner Gopal Baglay handed over a large consignment of drugs and other medical supplies to Hon’ble Channa Jayasumana, Minister of Health in Colombo on 29 April 2022. Indian Naval Ship Ghariyal was specially deployed for ensuring expeditious delivery of the medical consignment, a gift from the people of India.
2. These medical supplies are in response to the request from Teaching Hospital, Peradeniya. Shortage of essential supplies in the Teaching Hospitalwas noted by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar during his visit to Sri Lanka in March 2022.
3. More medical consignments in response to specific requests by various medical entities operating in all parts of Sri Lanka are also being scheduled from India. In addition, USD 200 million has been earmarked for the supply of medical supplies under the USD 1 billion credit line for essential commodities like food, medicine etc.
4. India has been extending expeditious support to Sri Lanka in the recent past. Overall economic assistance which stands close to USD 3 billion in 2022 alone has been of various kinds – USD 1 billion credit line for essentials; USD 500 million credit line for purchase of petroleum products; USD 400 million bilateral currency swap; and over USD 1 billion under the Asian Clearing Union Framework. The USD 1 billion credit line is operational and 16,000 MT of rice has already reached Sri Lanka, inter alia other items, under this credit line.
