Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella says that steps will be taken to import the required drugs to Sri Lanka without any shortage.
He was speaking at a function held at the Ministry of Health yesterday (15) to mark the handing over of 100,000 antigen test kits to Sri Lanka as a donation from the Government of India.
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay handed over the donation to Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.
The Minister pointed out that a list of medicines and essential medical equipment required for Sri Lanka for the next two quarters has been prepared and it is hoped to obtain them from countries such as India and China.
Minister Rambukwella further said that the Government of Sri Lanka is fully committed to provide the people of the country with the necessary medicines and medical equipment without any shortage.
He said that in the midst of the global catastrophe, the entire world was undergoing a new normalization and the challenge was to sustain the economy in particular. The Minister explained to the Indian High Commissioner that the Sri Lankan government is following in the footsteps of the people of other parts of the world who have requested the government to provide the vaccine. The Health Minister said that the government is now paying special attention to the distribution of booster vaccines to the public and that a large number of publicity campaigns are being carried out in this regard.
He said that there is a stock of nine million vaccines in the country and 90 percent of the vaccinations for school children have been completed.
He added that the vaccination would be more successful if there was a change in the attitudes of some people in the country.The Health Minister thanked the Government of India for the donation made by the Government of India and said that he was pleased with the Government of India’s commitment to vaccination in Sri Lanka as well as the control of COVID from the outset.
Addressing the gathering Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay said that at present there was some reduction in the pandemic situation in India and the country had taken steps to maintain normalcy. He said that at some point India had faced the highest level of cowardice and the current situation seemed to be improving somewhat.
WHO Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Dr. Alaka Singh, Health Ministry Secretary Maj. Gen.Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Deputy Director General Dr. D.R.K. Herath and Deputy Director General (Medical Supplies) Dr. Anwar Hamdani were present.
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