Govt. plans to manufacture required pharmaceutical drugs within 5 years

Plans are afoot to produce the pharmaceutical drugs required for the country within five years, according to Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

The Minister pointed out that 50% of the project would be implemented in five phases and an investment plan would be implemented for the first two years.

An investment plan of $ 1 million for the first phase, $ 5 million for the second and $ 10 million for the next and so on would be implemented, the Minister said.

The Minister disclosed these plans at a meeting with Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay at the Ministry of Health last week.

The Minister said that steps had already been taken to manufacture pharmaceutical drugs and accordingly saline production would be carried out in the country.

Rambukwella pointed out that setting up pharmaceutical factories, especially at the trade zone level, would be very effective and cost effective and the implementation of infrastructure for this purpose would be more successful.

The Minister of Health pointed out that the launch of the booster vaccine was a testament to Sri Lanka’s health system as well as the vaccination process. The Minister also stated that the in-house COVID treatment system implemented in Sri Lanka, especially for children, was successful and only 1.4% of those referred for treatment were hospitalised.

The Minister told the Indian High Commissioner that the decision taken by the Government was especially successful at the height of the pandemic and that it had avoided unnecessary congestion in hospitals.

Speaking at the meeting, Indian High Commissioner Baglay said that Indian schools, which had been closed for 19 months due to the pandemic, were reopened yesterday.

He said that vaccination of Indian school children had not been done in the country so far and it was being considered. The High Commissioner said that by now 50% of the Indian population had been vaccinated.

The envoy added that Indian investors and pharmaceutical manufacturers were ready to start a pharmaceutical industry, especially in Sri Lanka, and that the pharmaceutical market could be conquered.