The Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, has announced the government’s intention to establish several laboratories dedicated to testing medicines in the near future.
Addressing journalists in Kandy, Dr. Jasinghe highlighted the current gaps in quality assurance processes and the government’s plans to improve them:
- Enhanced Quality Checks:
“These tests should be conducted at various stages of quality checking. However, so far, such testing has only been carried out when a complaint arises. This approach is insufficient,” he explained. - Establishing Testing Facilities:
To address these challenges, the government aims to set up one or two testing laboratories within Sri Lanka to ensure consistent monitoring of medicine quality.
Dr. Jasinghe also noted the scale of Sri Lanka’s centralized healthcare procurement system, emphasizing its significance:
“Although Sri Lanka is a small country, its procurement process is much larger than that of many developed countries, given that the healthcare system is state-run and the supply of medicines is centralized.”
Investigation into Allegations
In response to recent allegations about the importation of medicines by a blacklisted company, Dr. Jasinghe confirmed that an investigation is planned to address these concerns and uphold the integrity of the healthcare system.
These measures reflect the government’s commitment to enhancing medicine safety and quality standards in Sri Lanka.
