With the increasing number of patients in the country, the essential and life-saving drug categories in hospitals are running out rapidly, so now it has become a serious crisis, Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Media Committee Member Dr. Prasad Kolabage said.

The number of patients getting admitted in hospitals is currently increasing, and there is a shortage of more medicine categories in every hospital unlike ever before, Dr. Kolabage said.

While addressing the media, he said with the current economic difficulties, the pandemic situation and steady rising of diseases such as dengue, influenza and fever, the number of patients reported in the country is increasing.

"As claimed by the Health Minister, he said that there are adequate stocks of medicine. If it is so, how does this shortage appear? If there is sufficient medicine stocked with the Minister, there must be an issue with the distribution. "It is the responsibility of the Minister to supply medicines evenly for all hospitals in the country without incurring a shortage," Dr. Kolabage said.

We have received a list of essential medicines that are currently in short supply in hospitals. Certain essential medicines are already out of stock. The remaining medicinal drugs are being sold at an exorbitantly higher prices, which patients cannot afford.

Therefore, the GMOA requested the Minister to take immediate action to overcome the shortage without allowing the current drugs crisis to become more precarious. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)