In response to the acute shortage of essential medicines, the Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry (SLCPI) has called on the Ministry of Health to take immediate action and reconsider its reliance on Government-to-Government (G2G) procurement, warning that delays could worsen the crisis and fail to meet urgent needs.
While commending the Ministry’s recent efforts to collaborate with local pharmaceutical manufacturers and stakeholders, the Chamber expressed serious concerns over the decision to prioritize G2G procurement to fill critical supply gaps.
The SLCPI highlighted that although G2G arrangements are well-intentioned, they involve significant procedural and diplomatic delays that could extend up to two to three months—an unacceptably long wait given the current urgency.
“Patients need medicines now. We simply cannot afford to wait three months,” the Chamber stressed, emphasizing that local suppliers already registered with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) are fully compliant and capable of delivering medicines within two weeks—provided that the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) promptly issues the necessary indents and Letters of Credit (LCs).
“Our members are ready, our plan is in place, but time is running out. The delay isn’t in production—it’s in the paperwork. We need decisive action now to avoid a full-blown healthcare crisis,” the Chamber added.
