Scarcity of drugs, Sri Lankan cancer patients are at risk of early “death sentence”

Sri Lanka has to import to meet more than 80% of its medicine supply, but with its foreign exchange reserves dwindling because of the economic crisis, many important pharmaceuticals are slowly disappearing from shelves, and the health system is on the verge of collapse. to pour.

At Apeksha Cancer Hospital with a scale of 950 beds on the outskirts of the commercial capital Colombo, patients, relatives and doctors are increasingly hopeless because of the shortage, forcing them to stop testing and postpone many procedures. That includes major surgeries.

“Things are very bad for cancer patients,” Dr. Roshan Amaratunga told Reuters. “There were times in the morning when we planned to have surgery, but we couldn’t do it that day… because we didn’t have enough equipment.”

If the situation does not improve quickly, some patients will face a real death sentence, he warned.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising oil prices, populist tax breaks and a ban on imported fertilizers. chemical fertilizers – leading to the destruction of the agricultural industry.

Saman Rathnayake, the Sri Lankan government official in charge of procuring medical supplies, said about 180 items were out of stock, including injections for dialysis patients, medicines for transplant patients and some medicines cancer treatment.

According to Rathnayake, India, Japan and many multilateral organizations are supporting Sri Lanka but it takes four months for the items to arrive. During this time, Sri Lanka appealed to private donors, both at home and abroad, to help.

“The Great Fear”

Doctors are more concerned than patients or their loved ones because they know the severity of the situation and the consequences.

Mention long lines to buy gasoline and gasDr. Vasan Ratnasingam, spokesman for the Association of Government Medical Workers of Sri Lanka, said the consequences for those waiting to receive treatment were even more dire.

“If patients have to wait in line to get medicine, they will lose their lives,” Ratnasingam describes.

The mother of Binuli Bimsara, a 4-year-old girl who is being treated for blood cancer, said she and her husband are both extremely scared.

“Before, we had little hope of being able to treat the disease, but now we are living in huge fear. We are really helpless, our future is really dark when we hear the news of lack of medicine. We don’t have the money to send our children abroad for treatment,” she said.

Indian authorities shipped 25 tons of medical supplies and other aid on May 22, officials said.

“Never India supporting another country like that… This is something we are extremely grateful for,” Sri Lankan Foreign Minister GL Peiris said at the port of Colombo. Next to him was a ship carrying thousands of packages.

“This is probably the most difficult period Sri Lanka has faced since independence.”