By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  
The Government Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF) urged the government to refrain from including the Health Ministry in centralized drug procurement to reduce corruption.   
GMOF president Dr. Rukshan Bellana told the Daily Mirror that the existing problem of medicine shortages in the health sector fluctuates between availability. Alongside shortages, the quality of existing medicine stocks is often subpar.   
Corruption and centralized drug procurement are identified as the root causes of these issues, he said.   
“In Sri Lanka, there’s a significant demand for Indian-manufactured medicines, surpassing even that in India itself. In India, hospitals independently place orders directly with manufacturing companies to replenish their drug stocks. However, the situation in Sri Lanka differs; the Health Ministry acquires medicines from a centralized centre through tenders. This practice has led to a decline in the quality of drugs and compromised the safety of their usage,” Dr. Bellana said.   
As GMOF, Dr. Bellana urged the government to reduce the Health Ministry’s involvement in centralized medicine procurement and instead hand over this task to the private sector, following the model adopted by other countries.   
Therefore, Dr. Bellana said that the association is ready to propose a mechanism for the government that can help import quality drugs in a corruption-free, high-accountability manner.   
Currently, a large number of cancer patients are facing a serious issue without getting their medicines for their diagnosis and treatment.   
Dr. Bellana said that the proposal is prepared to present a mechanism to the government aimed at importing high-quality drugs with a focus on ensuring corruption-free processes and high accountability.   
He also pointed out the urgent nature of the situation, noting that a considerable number of cancer patients are currently unable to access vital medications crucial for their diagnosis and treatment.