Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says the next few months will be the most difficult period for Sri Lankans.
He said there was no alternative but to print money to pay the salaries of public servants this month and the rupee would depreciate further during printing.
He also said that there was a shortage of medicines for heart patients, including equipment for surgeries, adding that there was a shortage of 14 essential medicines and it was unfortunate that the Medical Supplies Division was not able to supply at least two of them at present.
He said those two drugs were, one given to heart patients and the second is a rabies drug and that there was no alternative medicine for rabies drug.
Following is the full text of the Prime Minister’s address to the nation.
