In a concerning revelation, the true extent of medicine-related fatalities in Sri Lanka is feared to be much larger than what meets the eye, according to medical professionals. While reports have surfaced regarding one or two patients succumbing to poisoning from prescribed medications, experts assert that these cases represent merely the tip of a substantial iceberg of unseen incidents.
Neurologist Dr. Nilupul Perera has shed light on the disconcerting response of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority when questioned about potential side effects of medicines. The regulatory body has left medical professionals at a loss for words, unable to provide satisfactory answers.
Dr. Nilupul further highlights the perplexing disparity between the standards imposed on importing poisons into the country and the seemingly underestimated importation of medicines. The medical expert stresses that if a patient, trusting their doctor, experiences organ failure or even death after taking prescribed medication or vaccines, it should not be perceived as an isolated incident. Instead, it should be understood as merely the visible manifestation of a much larger, unseen issue.
The National Medicines Regulatory Authority bears the responsibility for all aspects of the drug supply chain, including importation, quality checks, storage, and distribution to patients. However, concerns are mounting that the authority is shirking its responsibilities. The expert underscores the need for the authority to be held accountable if patients are treated unfairly and calls for measures to ensure the supply of quality medicines into the country.
Presently, the country has witnessed a few deaths caused by the usage of substandard drugs. However, the expert warns that without immediate action to rectify the hazardous conditions surrounding medication quality, the number of fatalities is likely to escalate.
Dr. Nilupul emphasizes the necessity for the responsible minister to take action to procure high-quality medicines while safeguarding the independence of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority. Failing to do so, the expert insists that the authorities, under the minister’s leadership, should be held accountable for the loss of precious lives.
