Sri Lanka imports 85 p.c of its medicines and medical gear

Colombo:

Entire wards are darkish and practically empty in Sri Lanka’s largest hospital, its few remaining sufferers leaving untreated and nonetheless in ache, and docs prevented from even arriving for his or her shifts.

An unprecedented financial disaster has dealt a physique blow to a free and common healthcare system that simply months earlier was the envy of the nation’s South Asian neighbours.

Suffering from diabetes and hypertension that infected her joints, Theresa Mary travelled to the capital Colombo for therapy on the National Hospital of Sri Lanka.

Unable to discover a trip for the final leg of her journey, she needed to limp the final 5 kilometres (three miles) on foot.

She was discharged 4 days later, nonetheless discovering it tough to face on her toes, as a result of the dispensary had run out of subsidised painkillers.

“Doctors asked me to buy medicines from a private pharmacy, but I don’t have money,” Mary, 70, informed AFP.

“My knees are still swollen. I don’t have a home in Colombo. I don’t know how long I have to walk.”

The National Hospital usually caters to folks everywhere in the island nation in want of specialist therapy, but it surely now runs on decreased employees and lots of of its 3,400 beds are mendacity unused.

Supplies of surgical procedure gear and life-saving medicine have been virtually exhausted, whereas power petrol shortages have left each sufferers and docs unable to journey for therapy.

“Patients scheduled for surgeries are not reporting,” Dr Vasan Ratnasingham, a member of a authorities medical officers’ affiliation, informed AFP.

“Some medical staff work double shifts because others cannot report for duty. They have cars but no fuel.”

Sri Lanka imports 85 p.c of its medicines and medical gear, together with uncooked supplies to fabricate the remaining share of its wants.

But the nation is now bankrupt and an absence of overseas foreign money has left it unable to supply sufficient petrol to maintain the economic system transferring — and sufficient prescribed drugs to deal with its sick.

“Normal painkillers, antibiotics and paediatric medicines are in extremely short supply. Other medicines have become up to four times expensive in the last three months,” pharmacy proprietor Okay. Mathiyalagan informed AFP.

Mathiyalagan stated his colleagues needed to reject three out of each 10 prescriptions as a result of they lacked the means to fill them.

“A lot of basic medicines are completely out of stock,” he added. “Doctors prescribe without knowing what is available in the pharmacies.”

‘Verge of collapse’ 

Health ministry officers declined to provide particulars in regards to the current state of Sri Lanka’s public well being providers, on which 90 p.c of the inhabitants relies upon.

But docs working in authorities hospitals say they’ve been compelled to curtail routine surgical procedures to prioritise life-threatening emergencies, and use much less efficient substitute medicines.

“Sri Lanka’s once-strong healthcare system is now in jeopardy,” UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy stated in a press release. “The most vulnerable are facing the greatest impact.”

The World Bank just lately redirected growth funds to assist Sri Lanka pay for urgently wanted medicines, together with anti-rabies vaccines.

India, Bangladesh, Japan and different nations have helped with donations for the healthcare sector, whereas Sri Lankans residing overseas have pitched in by sending dwelling prescribed drugs and medical gear.

But new President Ranil Wickremesinghe has warned that the nation’s financial disaster was more likely to proceed to the tip of subsequent yr, and Sri Lanka is staring on the prospect of a fair worse public well being disaster to come back.

Hyperinflation has pushed meals costs so excessive that many households are struggling to maintain themselves fed.

According to the World Food Programme, practically 5 million folks — 22 p.c of the inhabitants — want meals assist, with greater than 5 out of each six households both skipping meals, consuming much less or shopping for lower-quality meals.

If the disaster drags on, “More infants will die, and malnutrition will be rampant in Sri Lanka,” Dr Vasan of the medical officers’ affiliation informed AFP.

“It will bring our healthcare system to the verge of collapse.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)