"Essential medicines in 3 weeks run out: 20 already dead without rabies-snake venom vaccine"

Dr. Gishantha Dasanayake, President of the All Ceylon Medical Officers' Association said that there will be a severe shortage of essential medicines in the hospital system within the next three weeks.

The Chairman said that the replacement drugs currently used for certain drugs will also be phased out from the hospital system within the next 3 weeks.

Mr. Dasanayake said that when a hospital orders medicines from wholesale warehouses, 20 percent will be given at present, and that quantity will also end in the next few days.

At present, medicines are given only to selected patients from hospitals and young patients are given priority over older patients, he said.

Mr. Dasanayake said that there was a shortage of both dog bite vaccines and the anti-snake venom vaccine, which had killed 20 people across the country in the recent past.

He said there was a shortage of antibiotics, syrups for young children and painkillers for knee pain.

Mr. Dasanayake said that at present patients are restricted from performing surgeries in hospitals, adding that there is a shortage of surgical knives and knife supports and fibers used to sew surgical wounds.