Sri Lanka’s health care system is close to collapse, under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government of system change which instigated the island nation’s worst economic crisis triggred by dollar scarcity.
Shortage of vital drugs affected the public health system and some procedures and tests have been suspended, official sources said.
The lack of foreign exchange has left President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government unable to import essentials including medicines and fuel, causing severe power cuts and bringing thousands of protesters on to the streets demanding his ouster.
New administration headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe took up the respsonsibility to put the house in order in a mission impossible taking prpompt action to canvas foreign donor countries and international financial agencies to help the country overcome fuel food snf medicing shortage.
Responding to SL Prime Minister’s clarion call France , japan and india have stepped into to bring at least a temporary relief to the medicine shortage in such a difficult time.
The French Government has donated a stock of medicine worth of euro 300,000 (around Rs. 115 million) following the request made by the Government of Sri Lanka.
France expressed its goodwill to assist Sri Lanka at this moment as the country’s health service is in a serious crisis with shortages of drugs and essential items amid the worsening economic situation.
This stock of medicine worth around 300,000 euros arrived in Sri Lanka by SriLankan Airlines during the weekend. Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka Eric Lavertu will handed over the medicine to the Sri Lankan health authorities upon its arrival.
The Government of Japan is giving essential medicines to Sri Lanka through UNICEF to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable population as the country grapples with shortages due to an economic crisis.
The contribution of US$ 1.5 million will enable UNICEF to procure medicines for over 1.2 million people, among them 53,000 pregnant mothers and nearly 122,000 children in immediate need.
The medicines will be distributed to health facilities across Sri Lanka in coordination with the Ministry of Health,.Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of Japan to Sri Lanka. Katsuki Kotaro said adding that , this USD 1.5 million emergency grant will be used to procure most urgently needed 25 types of medicines within the next two months through UNICEF.
Meanwhile, a large humanitarian grant assistance consignment worth more than SLR 2 billion from the people of India is scheduled reached Colombo on Sunday 22, 2022.
The consignment, which consists of 9,000 MT of rice, 50 MT of milk powder and more than 25 MT of drugs and other medical supplies, was handed over by Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay to the senior leadership of Government of Sri Lanka.
The consignment was flagged off from Chennai port by Thiru M.K Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on May 18, 2022.
This is the first incoming consignment under a larger commitment of 40,000 MT of rice, 500 MT of milk powder and medicines by Government of Tamil Nadu. This commitment translates to more than SLR 5.5 billion
