The Island
The JVP yesterday launched a scathing attack on Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and top health officials over the supply of substandard and outdated medicine to government hospitals. The JVP also accused them of failing to ensure a steady supply of essential drugs to hospitals, including the National Hospital.
Addressing a press conference at JVP headquarters, Vijitha Herath, MP and Dr. Nalin Jayatissa, JVP member of the Western Provincial Council said that the ministry had allowed importers of medicine to make massive profits at the expense of people by way of supplying State hospitals with poor quality medicine.
Herath said that the Auditor General’s annual report for 2007 had revealed waste, corruption and irregularities which caused losses amounting to a little over half a billion rupees. He said that absolutely no action had been taken to rectify a rapidly deteriorating situation though Minister de Silva was boasting of a two-thirds majority for the ruling coalition at the next parliamentary elections.
Herath said that the government had also failed to maintain the minimum number of doctors and nursing staff in keeping with WHO standards. He said that it would not be difficult to imagine the situation at hospitals in the provinces when both the National Hospital and the Colombo South Hospital at Kalubowila lacked a range of medicines.
Several dozens of substandard medicines had been imported last year by importers. According to the MP, some of them had imported 40 substandard items so far this year though charged with the same offence last year. Nothing could be as bad as allowing a set of crooks jeopardise lives of people. Responding to The Island queries, he said that a section of importers purchased large stocks which were just a few months short of being declared outdated. He said that such stocks could be purchased at a fraction of the normal market price and supplied to hospitals through corrupt elements in the Health Ministry. The MP said that Indian suppliers had been involved in the racket. Referring to the recent death of a 13-year-old girl after receiving Rubella vaccine, he said that that the particular batch (of vaccine) had not carried the date of manufacture.
There was no point in appointing committees to inquire into the latest Rubella victim, emphasising the minister and his henchmen should be investigated and punished, he said.
Addressing a UPFA press conference at Mahaweli Centre on Wednesday (October 14), Minister de Silva dismissed allegations levelled against the ministry over the Rubella death. An irate de Silva said that a committee had been appointed to inquire into the death. He said that the national immunization programme could not be stopped though some recipients of the vaccine could develop complications. Health Ministry spokesman A. Wanninayake, yesterday told The Island that there was no basis for JVP’s attack on the ministry. He said that the ministry would respond to their accusations.
At the taxpayers’ expense
JVP MP Vijitha Herath yesterday said the Health Ministry makes a monthly payment of Rs. 4,000 each for 17 container loads of outdated medicine, held at private premises. He said a private cement company was paid Rs. 16,000 to destroy one ton of medicine and this had been going on for some time. According to him, millions worth medicine stocks had been held there.