Thursday May 14, 2026
Thursday May 14, 2026
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The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the procurement of an additional 865,000 vials of Meropenem, a critical antibiotic used in the treatment of severe bacterial infections, in response to rising demand across the country’s public health system.
The fresh order, valued at $ 908,250 including freight charges, will be supplied by United Biotech Ltd., with the medicine manufactured by United Biotech (P) Ltd. in India.
The decision follows an earlier Cabinet approval granted on 21 October 2025 to procure 1.9 million vials of the same antibiotic for the country’s healthcare network.
According to the Government, the Medical Supplies Division subsequently requested an additional quantity equivalent to 45.53% of the original order due to a sharp increase in clinical demand.
Based on the recommendation of the Standard High-Level Procurement Committee, Cabinet approved the proposal submitted by the Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa to award the supplementary order to the same supplier at the original contracted unit price of $ 1.05 per vial.
It was noted that maintaining the original pricing helped avoid delays and additional procurement costs, while ensuring continuity in the supply of a life-saving antibiotic widely used in intensive care units (ICU) and emergency treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections.
