Senior Minister Tissa Vitharana, who heads the cabinet subcommittee on preparing a medicinal drugs policy, yesterday expressed his displeasure and disappointment over the unusual delay by the Legal Draftsman’s Department (LG) to draft the legal framework for a National Medicinal Drugs Policy (NMDP). Responding to the Daily Mirror on the government’s failure to present the draft proposals for a NMDP despite repeated promises to do so, the senior minister said six months ago the cabinet subcommittee and the committee of officials agreed on a course of action to resolve this problem and submitted the blueprint to the LG to prepare the draft Act.

“One of the major proposals was to establish a separate independent Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA) to deal with the tender procedure, quality assurance, registration of drugs and suppliers and take to task those who violate the Act,” he said adding that tenders would be based on the generic name and to make sure there would be no shortage of essential dugs at hospitals.

“It was also agreed that tenders for the supply of drugs must be based on Professor Senaka Bibile’s Considerable pressure was brought on him to modify it. When he refused it, the implementation was made difficult not only in Sri Lanka but in other counties that accepted the Bibile drugs policy. There is a suggestion that Prof. Bibile’s sudden death while heading a WHO team to British New Guinea on the implementation of his drug policy was a part of that conspiracy medicinal drugs concept. Worldwide tenders for annual requirements should be called by June of the previous year with a suitable flexibility clause. The tenders will be based on generic names of good quality drugs at affordable prices,” the minister said. “President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena are keen to get the NMDP implemented as soon as possible but there are unseen but strong obstacles to overcome.”

Responding to statements that the drug mafia was exerting pressure to block the implementation of Prof. Bible’s policies, the minister said his friend Prof. Bibile initially prepared the drug policy and it was accepted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for worldwide implementation. “Considerable pressure was brought on him to modify it. When he refused it, the implementation was made difficult not only in Sri Lanka but in other counties that accepted the Bibile drugs policy. There is a suggestion that Prof. Bibile’s sudden death while heading a WHO team to British New Guinea on the implementation of his drug policy was a part of that conspiracy,” the senior minister said.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka