• 19,844 medical items had been consumed in the island by the year 2017

Medical supplies valued over Rs.10 billion have been purchased without approval from the Formulary Revision Committee of the Health Ministry, the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) says. 
It was revealed at the Committee on Public Accounts meeting held on November 17 that 4,619 medical supplies worth Rs. 10 billion had been purchased between 2011 and 2016 without the recommendation of the Formulary Revision Committee. 

The Committee met under the chairmanship of Government MP Prof. Tissa Vitharana on November 17. 
The COPA met to review the Auditor General’s Special Audit Report on the Medical Supply Process carried out by the Medical Supplies Division of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine. 

It was revealed that although the number of medical items consumed by many countries in the world was very low, 19,844 medical items had been consumed in the island by the year 2017. The committee also revealed that 8,945 “Trastuzumab injection 440 mg with solvent in 20ml vials” called “Herticad” had been purchased from one supplier in the local market on 14 occasions in 2018 and 2019 at a cost of Rs. 891 million. The committee had to bear an additional cost of Rs. 230.9 million due to the rejection of the minimum bid in these transactions.

• 8,945 “Trastuzumab injection 440 mg with solvent in 20ml vials” called “Herticad” had been purchased from one supplier in the local market on 14 occasions in 2018 and 2019 at a cost of Rs. 891 million