Sri Lanka’s public health sector is grappling with a shortage of essential medicines, with the authorities attributing the crisis to local and global factors. The Medical Supplies Division (MSD) has reported that while some improvements have been made, critical gaps remain.
Deputy Director General of the MSD, Dr. G. Wijesuriya who acknowledged the ongoing shortages said, “In my 32 years of experience, Sri Lanka has never had a day with zero shortages. The number of items in short supply has reduced from 350-400 to about 140, but challenges persist.”
Among the items in short supply is the hepatitis B vaccine, which lacks registered suppliers in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Wijesuriya said that tender cancellations due to quality assurance concerns and global supply chain priorities favouring larger, wealthier nations are significant hurdles. This is a global issue. Smaller countries such as Sri Lanka are deprioritised in favour of large orders from wealthier nations, he said.
The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) is working to mitigate the crisis. SPC General Manager K.M.D.R. Dassanayake said, “We have negotiated with suppliers to refill stocks. However, pharmaceuticals have a lead time — raw materials must be procured, and drugs manufactured and shipped. For some items, no suppliers are registered with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), complicating procurement further.”
The MSD has implemented measures such as enabling local purchases from pharmacies, by providing funds to institutions for urgent needs, and placing bulk orders to ensure a steady supply through 2025 to address these challenges.
Amid the crisis, local manufacturers are stepping in to reduce dependency on imports. Managing Director of Celogen Lanka, Rishikumar Nadarajah said, “We are manufacturing over 200 medicines locally, which significantly contribute to import substitution and strengthen the country’s healthcare infrastructure.”
Despite these efforts, the road to a stable supply remains steep, highlighting the need for enhanced collaboration between Government, local industries, and international suppliers. As Sri Lanka navigates these challenges, the focus remains on ensuring uninterrupted access to life-saving medicines.
