Some 40 years after powerful transnational drug corporations killed the essential medicines concept of Prof. Senaka Bibile, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne yesterday appointed members of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) which in the coming months is expected to slash the huge number of drugs being imported and provide quality drugs to the people at affordable prices.

Addressing a ceremony to mark the event,  Dr. Senaratne described it as being similar to the silent revolution that took place on January 8 to usher in a new Government for good governance, democracy and social justice. 

Prof. Bibile, one of the most widely respected pharmacologists in the world, had in 1971 drafted a national medicinal drugs policy with the assistance of Dr. S. A. Wickremasinghe, an equally respected leader of the Communist Party. The then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s United Front Government approved the policy and implemented it with great success. Prof. Bibile was appointed as the first Chairman of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) which handled drug imports while the State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation was given incentives to produce drugs locally. In an unprecedented turn of events, Prof. Bibile while being the Chairman of the SPC was also the leader if its trade union. Eye witnesses say they regularly saw him sitting on the ground and helping to pack the drugs in a manner that they would not lose their efficacy. His medicinal drugs policy was also accepted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and even today a large number of countries including Bangaladesh are implementing it successfully.

But in 1976 the United States Government, apparently acting under the influence of transnational drug corporations which were among the big election campaign funders, virtually forced Sri Lanka to discard the Bibile policies. According to reports, the US Ambassador here met Premier Bandaranaike and told her that if the Bibile policies were not withdrawn, the US would have to reconsider its aid to Sri Lanka including the vital PL 480 wheat flour imports. Ms. Bandaranaike called Prof. Bibile and told him that she had no option but to agree to the US order. Prof. Bibile also had no option. He resigned and went to British Guiana where he was working for the United Nations when he died under mysterious circumstances. Sri Lanka Medical Council Chairman Prof. Carlo Fonseka is among those who suspect there was some foul play such as deliberate medical negligence.      

President Ranasinghe Premadasa appointed a top level committee to re-implement the Bibile policy but the President was killed before he could do so. In the Presidential elections of 2005 and 2010, Mahinda Rajapaksa solemnly promised he would implement the Bibile policies but in 2014 the then Health Minister and now President Maithripala Sirisena alleged that transnational drug corporations had given up to Rs. 1000 million to some VVIPs to derail the Bibile policy. 

Thus the appointment of the NMRA yesterday was indeed a silent revolution. Some vested interests in the electronic media are claiming the appointment of the NMRA during an election campaign is illegal. But they are not aware that most members of this Authority were appointed before the dissolution and the minister was awaiting the appointment of representatives from professional medical bodies and universities. In any event reports said the minister checked with the Elections Commissioner who said there was nothing illegal. One of the NMRA members said transnational drug corporations had not yet given up their battle and were still trying to sabotage the re-implementation of the Bibile policies.

Instead of diluting good medicine, these vested interests need to spotlight some grave abuses. For instance, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), misreported in some sections of the medics as the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), conducted a health walk last Sunday and it was sponsored by other vested interests. We urge the SLMC and Prof. Carlo Fonseka to investigate any ethical violations in such events.