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“In 2006 health was allocated 1.97% of the GDP. This was reduced to 1.31% in 2012. By 2012 every household bears 8.7% of their income for healthcare. It is common to have shortage of medicines. The three lifesaving drugs Carboplatin, Tamoxifen, and Folinic acid are not available at Maharagama Cancer Hospital. The patients are prescribed to buy these from the private sector. But you were able to submit a supplementary estimate of Rs. 1 billion for CHOGM,” he told Parliament.
According to MP Premadasa the number of medicines registered during 2001 to 2011 increased from 2,200 to 10,000, leading to the opening of 3,000 pharmacies of which most were without approval.
“The same medicine is sold at various prices using different brand names. I request the Government to ban selling of the same medicine under different names and prices. You have failed to execute the Senaka Bibile Pharmaceutical Policy as promised in 2005. The Legal Draftsman claims that necessary support is not given to complete the enacting. Tell me from which hospital can a patient do a heart surgery free of charge. We will need at least 1,500 Hemodialysis machines but we have only 160. Stop spending for night races and CHOGM. UNICEF estimates 15% of the population to suffer from anaemia. Due to malnutrition, low birth weight has been increased to 17.9%,” added MP Premadasa.
Minister of Consumer Welfare S.B. Nawinne in response stated that the Government has improved the state healthcare while enabling private hospitals to come up. 
“Renal deceases are all over the country. Use of fertilisers and other chemicals could be the reason for this. The President has appointed two Ministerial Committees to investigate. Some recommendations are to prudently use or reduce the use of fertilisers and the chemicals in agriculture. We have also allocated Rs. 900 million to construct water purification centres in the affected areas,” said Minister Nawinne.
Joining the debate Minister of Disaster Management Mahinda Aamaraweera stressed that the importance of free healthcare provided in Sri Lanka when the rest of the region has dropped the concept.
“A high cost is borne to provide medications for cancer patients. There can be shortages but the improvements are more in terms of facilities and relevant medications. The tenders are called to fill the vacuum. Witness the development at cancer hospital rather depending on information provided by a third-party. I also suggest introducing controls over food and beverage advertising. Specifically for sausages and milk that gives the wrong impression to the younger generation,” said Minister Amaraweera.
Meanwhile, DNA Member of Parliament Sunil Handunnetti blamed the Government for not filling the hospital carder. “There are only four nutritionists with government hospitals and the private sector has 26. This is inadequate. The latest trend is to issue prescriptions and test requests to obtain from the private sector.
“At least 5% of the GDP has to be allocated to the health sector. You claim to have allocated 3.5% but in reality the health sector receives 1.97%. This is the reason for issuing prescription to the private sector. You have failed to allocate money to solve the issues of renal patients in Sri Lanka. Were you able to reduce the number of renal patients in the North Central Province, the number of diabetic cases, pressure cases, HIV cases, and the number of smokers? These are the true facts that needed to assess the country position,” asserted MP Handunnetti.
Deputy Minister of Indigenous Medicine C.P.D. Bandaranaike highlighting the Government efforts to uplift the Ayurvedic sector said: “Herbal health gardens were started in schools. This will educate children. In addition, the Government extended support to religious institutions to maintain herbal health gardens. The Ayurvedic Corporation has enhanced its product quality. “We will continue to registers the Ayurvedic practitioners and to help them with machinery and the indigenous herbs required to prepare the medications. The allocation for 2014 amounts to Rs. 300 million. We intend to use this to find cures for dengue fever, heart diseases, cancer and diabetes.”
Contributing to the already heated debate, MP P. Harison highlighted the lame measures taken to monitor quality and the increased corruption in the health sector. “The Government claimed to have banned imports of 40 substandard medicines, but banning will not help stop the corruption in the health sector. I suggest appointing a Presidential Commission to investigate the accounts of all state officials in the health sector.
“I vouch for Minister Sirisena and his Deputy Minister. Both of them are honest. But the bureaucracy at officer level continues to cheat patients. How do these officials get money into their accounts? Does God credit money to their account? I also suggest the Health Minister to ban using chemicals to ripen fruits artificially.
“Not only that, Minister Sirisena is the Chairman of the SLFP. I know your hands are tied. A partner of your Government is the JHU. Their Party Chairman priest is asking the Prime Minister to resign. If the Prime Minister is innocent he should expel the JHU from this coalition,” he charged.
Opposition lawmaker Dr. Harsha de Silva highlighted the scenario where drug shortages were found at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital noted that it is alarming to still talk about the shortages even after 30 years.
Moving on to other issues he said: “We heard about a mother committing suicide with her two children due to some family problem. Then an army deserter massacred a family recently. Last year 3,500 Sri Lankans committed suicide. We need to talk more on mental health. None of the members spoke about it in this House. 106,000 Sri Lankans have committed suicide from 1985- 2000.
“During the first six months of this year 900 have died from accidents whereas 1,750 committed suicide. Over 20% of the Sri Lankans could face a mental disorder or a depression at any stage during their lifetime. The Angoda Hospital has a capacity of 2,000 but has taken in over 8,000 patients last year. More emphasis is needed on mental health as well.”
In his response Minister of Heath Maithripala Sirisena turned down the Opposition’s allegations. “I don’t think it is necessary to check the bank accounts of all state officials including the Ministry Secretary. The United States spends $ 22,000 per person per annum on healthcare. But we will do this with $ 60 from the next year. We have high life expectancy and less maternal deaths. All hospitals will be developed. The Hambantota Base Hospital is now getting developed with an allocation of Rs. 7,500 million. For 2014 we have received Rs. 143 billion in addition to the donations and grants.
“In 2013, we have executed a five year program. It will develop the entire sector till 2018. The health policy was initiated two years ago. But certain movements are there to rescind it. We can publish it by 2014 along with the Prof. Senaka Bibile health recommendations. Our labs are strong and we prove certain low quality products.
“We are planning to get medicines from Bangladesh, to maintain quality concerns. Discussions are on with Malaysia and Thailand Governments to obtain medicines. We have built new building in the north and the east for hospitals. We have given 58 dialysis machines this year. There are over 200 machines in the country, which is adequate,” shared Minister Sirisena.
