Colombo (LNW): Two MPs of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) today (01) filed a fundamental rights (FR) petition in the Supreme Court against the Sri Lankan health authorities, including Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) over the failure to prevent the importation of substandard or unauthorised medicines and medical equipment.
These parliamentarians are reportedly SJB MPs Kavinda Jayawardena and Harshana Rajakaruna, and cited the Health Minister, the Chairman of the NMRA, its members, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and several other officials as respondents to the petition.
The petitioners alleged that the health authorities have repeatedly approved the importation of medicines and medical equipment that are either substandard or unauthorised, pointing out that these items are not fit for human consumption.
These substandard or unauthorised medicines and medical equipment have been provided for the hospitals and administered to the public without proper research, in a clear violation of the standard procurement process and health guidelines, thereby endangering the lives of the people, the petitioners emphasised.
