November 02, Colombo (LNW): Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Kalutara District Team Leader for the Nation People’s Power (NPP) in the upcoming general election, has announced that the party will prioritise accessible, quality medicines for all citizens under an NPP-led government.
He emphasised that confidence in government-distributed medicines has eroded, necessitating decisive reforms to ensure that patients receive effective, high-standard treatments through state healthcare systems.
Dr. Jayatissa outlined the NPP’s vision to provide affordable, reliable medicines at pharmacies across the nation.
Central to these reforms is the establishment of a state-of-the-art laboratory to rigorously test and monitor medication quality, which he stated would address gaps in existing regulatory infrastructure.
“At present, we lack world-class laboratories for medicine quality assurance, and this deficiency leads to quality control issues. Thus, establishing a formal, high-standard medicine testing institute is imperative,” he noted.
To build a reliable, transparent system, Dr. Jayatissa stressed the need to eradicate corruption, political interference, and inefficiencies from key health sector bodies, including the Ministry of Health’s Medical Supply Unit and the Drug Regulatory Authority.
According to Jayatissa, rooting out these problems will reinforce not only the quality of medicines but also the broader healthcare infrastructure.
Further, to alleviate overcrowding in government hospitals, Dr. Jayatissa proposed setting up ‘Primary Health Centres’ (PHCs), each intended to serve around 4,000 residents.
These centres would create localised access to healthcare and simultaneously reduce hospital burdens. He highlighted plans to integrate PHC data into a comprehensive national health database as part of the ‘Sri Lanka Digitisation Programme’.
Through this digital system, patients would be able to access treatment and healthcare services at any government hospital by using a unique personal identification number, facilitating streamlined, coordinated care nationwide.
Through these initiatives, Dr. Jayatissa reaffirmed the NPP’s commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare that is both affordable and trustworthy, setting a transformative agenda for the nation’s healthcare system.
