Colombo (LNW): Medicines, surgical instruments, and laboratory equipment with an approximate value of Rs. 350 million were deemed defective and withdrawn from use in the year 2022, the Auditor General’s report disclosed.
The report highlights that defective items, including medicines, surgical equipment, and laboratory apparatus, amounting to Rs. 349 million, were discarded after being issued for use in government hospitals last year.
The report emphasises a lack of an existing mechanism within the Medical Supply Division (MSD) to assess the effectiveness of certain drugs before their issuance to hospitals.
Consequently, these defects are only identified later, after patients have already been administered the affected drugs.
Furthermore, the Auditor General’s Department disclosed that as of the end of 2022, numerous positions in the healthcare sector remained vacant, including 1,331 doctor positions, 77 dental surgeons, 2,034 nursing officers, 136 medical laboratory technicians, 68 occupational therapists, 126 pharmacists, and 270 auditors.
The report also outlined that nearly Rs. 36,192 million had been expended on overtime and holiday wages, constituting 72 per cent of the total wage expenditure by the end of 2022.
