25 October 2022 02:21 am Views - 287
By Chaturanga Samarawickrama
Currently, there is an acute shortage of more than 90 essential medicines in most government hospitals in the country, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) said.
Addressing the media yesterday, GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said the hospital network in the country will collapse due to shortages.
“We have observed that the current medicine shortage seems to be on the rise daily.” The GMOA branch hospitals have informed us that even hospitals such as district hospitals in the Colombo city limits have faced a medicine shortage. “Essential medicines, including Paracetamol, Piriton and Saline are in short supply,” he said.
Emergency medicines such as aspirin, which is used to prevent heart stroke, are in short supply at even the Colombo General Hospital (CNH). There is even a shortage of medicine and medical equipment when conducting operations.