Drug shortage at Apeksha Cancer Hospital

Apeksha Cancer Hospital in Maharagama is facing a severe shortage of 38 essential drugs as suppliers have suspended their stocks owing to unsettled bills.

The Health Minister had obtained the consent of the Treasury to settle the bills...

Medical Supplies Division (MSD) Director Dr. A.T. Sudarshana told Daily Mirror that Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne had obtained the consent of the treasury to settle the bills and seek an additional Rs.1 billion to import required drugs. “I am confident that we could sort out the shortage of medicine at Apeksha Cancer Hospital by mid-june as we have already called for tenders to replenish the required drugs. Nevertheless, we will have to follow the accepted procedure to evaluate tender bids by the High Price Committee of the Cabinet and the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA),” he said.

He admitted that some injections cost Rs.50,000 a vial and that 336 of them were injected to patients annually. “The shortage of 38 drugs is only at Apeksha Cancer Hospital. Other cancer units in Karapitiya, Jaffna and Kandy too require a steady supply of drugs,” he said.

Sometime back, Minister Senaratne lifted the ceiling of Rs.1.5 million spent on a cancer patient annually and today there is no restriction and in some cases, the Health Ministry expends more than Rs.20 million on a cancer patient annually.

Meanwhile, social organisations stepped in to help Apeksha Cancer Hospital by supplying Rs.20,000 worth of medicine.

Apeksha Cancer Hospital Director Dr.wasantha Dissanayake confirmed that 20 essential drugs were unavailable. Although the Health Minister and relevant officials have been made aware of the situation, suppliers are not issuing medicine to the ministry as there are pending bills adding up to over a staggering Rs.70 million.

Although the Health Minister and relevant officials have been made aware of the situation, suppliers are not issuing medicine to the ministry as there are pending bills adding up to over a staggering Rs.70 million.

“All patients walking in to our office with a filled and signed request form from the hospital are from very difficult backgrounds and we simply cannot turn them back,” he said. Meanwhile, social organisations extended a helping hand to Apeksha Cancer Hospital. Indira Cancer Trust (ICT) supplied Rs.20,000 worth of medicine in May.

“If anyone is willing to extend a helping hand towards this worthy cause, kindly contact ICT. It usually buys up to Rs.20,000 worth of medicine sufficient for about two days. If anyone is willing to help a patient, he or she may send their full name and telephone number so that ICT can forward it to the office.

Let it contact you when a patient arrives so you can support directly. We have an agreement with two pharmacies that deliver medicine immediately and you can deposit the money to the account afterwards,” the ICT spokesman said.