Experts pick holes in committee appointed to oversee drug procurement

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

The five-member committee appointed to examine issues related to drug procurement has faced criticism from medical experts and professional bodies regarding its relevance and composition.  

Several medical professional bodies and experts have raised concerns about the committee’s necessity, as the procedures for drug procurement are already clearly defined in the MRI Act.   

Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), told Daily Mirror that there is no further need for the committee to study the matter since all relevant provisions are already available in the MRI Act.   Moreover, Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama expressed his belief that there are experts more involved in the field who should have been appointed to the committee instead.   

Medical specialists have also questioned the integrity and qualifications of certain committee members, including one member who was embroiled in a controversy over a conflict of interest. Furthermore, the relevance of another member, D. Thotawatte, has been called into question by medical specialists.   

In response to these criticisms, a senior official from the Health Ministry clarified that the committee was not appointed to repeal the NMRA Act, but rather to suggest why the provisions already outlined in the act are not being properly implemented in drug procurement.  The committee is chaired by K. Seneviratne, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, and includes Senior Prof. Manik Hettihewa, Professor of Pharmacology at CINEC Campus, Malabe, University Hospital KDU Executive Director Prof. J. Balawardena, D. Thotawatte, and Dr. P.L. Attapattu, Director of Tertiary Care Services at the Ministry of Health.