Severe shortage of 5 life-saving drugs, 200 other essential medicine: GMOA

COLOMBO (News 1st); Member of the Central Committee of the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA), Dr. Prasad Colombage states that there is a shortage of 5 types of life saving drugs throughout the country, and there is a shortage of more than 200 other essential medicine.

Speaking to media, he said that there is a severe shortage of drugs and medicine to treat heart diseases, medicine and equipment for premature babies, and medicine for cancer, which is very difficult to obtain.

Moreover, he requested that if the Government has received any kind of funds at this time, to direct the relevant funds to health.

"We can stay without fuel and we can stay without gas, but we will have to end our lives if we lose out on medicine. This is a time when we as doctors are very helpless," he stated.

He also mentioned that it has become imperative to focus only on essential surgeries, as the equipment and materials are very limited. Moreover, it has also been decided to postpone surgeries that can be postponed at hospitals.