HRCSL reissues summons to health sector heads over acute drug shortages

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has reissued summons to heads of several state health sector institutions over the acute drug shortages in Government hospitals. The HRCSL said as part of its inquiry based on complaints received about the lack of medicinal drugs in Government run hospitals it had summoned the petitioners and the respondents to appear before the Commission on 13 March. 

Accordingly, summons had been issued to the Ministry of Health Secretary, the Health Services Director General and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Chairman. However, the HRCSL said none of the officials who attended the inquiry representing these organisations on the day was in key decision-making positions forcing it to reissue summons to the heads of institutions. 

Accordingly, the HRCSL has now postponed the inquiry to 23 March. Issuing a statement, the HRCSL said it considers the acute drug shortages in hospitals as a matter of national importance that requires urgent intervention. It added that therefore steps have been taken to summon the heads of the institutions before the HRCSL immediately thereby considering it a high-priority issue that must be promptly resolved. The Sri Lanka Medical Association and the Doctors Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights are the petitioners and have claimed that the human rights of the people have been violated due to the shortage of medicines and the increase in the price of medicines.