May 21, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s public health sector is facing mounting pressure as the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has sounded the alarm over a worsening shortage of essential medicines in hospitals, whilst the Joint Federation of Paramedical Professionals is preparing to launch an island-wide token strike from May 22.
Addressing the media, GMOA spokesperson Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe revealed that the country’s hospital network is grappling with a dire lack of critical medications, including antibiotics, insulin, painkillers, and drugs for heart disease and hypertension.
He added that by the end of April, the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) had completely run out of nearly 180 essential medicines, with a further 50 varieties missing from hospital stocks.
“This crisis spans both national and regional hospitals. It’s not only about medicine – even basic surgical equipment is in short supply,” said Dr. Wijesinghe. “The implications for patient care are catastrophic if these gaps are not addressed immediately.”
Healthcare professionals have expressed growing frustration over the Ministry of Health’s failure to ensure uninterrupted drug supplies, warning that systemic failures in the procurement and distribution process could risk patient lives and paralyse hospital functions.
In a further escalation, the Joint Federation of Paramedical Professionals, representing crucial non-physician medical staff including radiographers, laboratory technicians, and pharmacists, has announced a nationwide token strike beginning tomorrow (22) at 8:00 a.m..
Federation president Ravi Kumudesh said the strike is being carried out in protest against long-standing grievances that have remained unresolved despite repeated appeals to the Minister of Health, the Public Service Commission, and other relevant authorities.
“For over two months, we have requested meetings to discuss these urgent matters. Our calls have been ignored. This token strike is not our first option – it’s our last,” Kumudesh declared. “The Ministry must bear full responsibility for any disruption to health services.”
