State Minister admits difficulty in tackling ‘Medicine Mafia’

It was extremely difficult to streamline the procurement process, State Minister of Pharmaceutical Production, Supply and Regulation Prof. Channa Jayasumana has told the ITN.

Prof. Jayasumana alleged that organised groups made massive profits at taxpayers’ expense through overpricing and excess orders. He, however, said some progress had been made in tackling the problem since the change of government in 2019.

Responding to interviewer Dasun Wasantha, Prof. Jayasumana explained how a section of the medical community was part of the lucrative racket.

The state minister explained how those in authority manipulated the procurement, storage, and distribution systems for their advantage. Prof. Jayasumana alleged that as waste, corruption and irregularities had been taking place with impunity for a long time it would not be an easy task remedy it.

The state minister claimed that streamlining of processes helped the government to save as much as Rs 3.5 bn since he took over the newly created State Ministry. Inquiries had revealed various medicines available at stores of a particular hospital could be distributed among wards to indicate an immediate requirement, Prof. Jayasumana said, underscoring the urgent need to introduce new systems to close loopholes.

The state minister alleged that unscrupulous persons working in unison with those in the public sector created artificial shortages for their benefit. Commenting on continuing import of inferior cosmetics, Prof. Jayasumana explained how those manipulated the regulatory process to enable the market to be flooded with extremely poor-quality items. The state minister did not mince his words when he discussed how some doctors, too, contributed to corrupt practices.

Without naming the former Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Prof. Jayasumana flayed the medical administration during the Yahapalana government with the focus on how cancer patients and their families had been brazenly fleeced. There had been instances where what could be purchased for Rs 10,000 marked up as much as Rs 135,000 to 140,000, the state minister said, claiming that one questionable transaction alone was estimated at Rs 840 mn (SF)