Controversial anaesthesia stock

Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has vehemently denied allegations that the anaesthetic medicine imported from India under the Indian Line of Credit (LOC) was linked to new deaths, including children's. He stated that the questionable stock had been withdrawn from state hospitals after the incident was reported from the Teaching Hospital Peradeniya in April, and there was no possibility of its continued use in state hospitals.

 

 

Rambukwella cited a group of medical specialists who held a media briefing to deny allegations that the controversial anaesthetic medicine had been used for children. According to the specialists, the type of medicine in question was not prescribed for children in Sri Lanka.

 

 

The Health Minister explained that the controversial medicine had been used on five patients, including those who reportedly died due to complications on the same day. He also noted that the patient who showed difficulties did so after 23 days of receiving the medicine. However, further investigations are ongoing.

 

 

The Health Ministry is awaiting lab test reports on samples of controversial pharmaceuticals, including some imported through the Indian credit line. Concerns have been raised over the quality and safety of these medicines, and samples are being tested to determine if there have been any quality control failures by the manufacturer.

 

 

Officially, only two incidents have been reported regarding alleged quality failures of the medicines, one from Peradeniya and another from the National Eye Hospital. The affected pharmaceutical items have been withdrawn from importation, and questions have been raised about the quality of other recently imported medicines by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC).

 

 

The Health Ministry had taken action following a reported death of a pregnant woman due to complications from a drug administered during a caesarean surgery at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital. The drug was suspended and withdrawn, and an investigation was conducted.

 

 

Similarly, the National Eye Hospital suspended surgeries after incidents of infections in patients who had undergone surgeries. The infections were allegedly related to an eye drop imported from India under the Indian credit line, and the specific batch of drugs was withdrawn.

 

 

On April 6, the Supreme Court temporarily suspended the importation of Indian pharmaceuticals under the credit line until further court orders, citing concerns over quality, safety, and the legality of procurement.