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Shortages: Auditor General’s report sheds light on many ills in health sector
By Saman Indrajith
The expenditure on medical supplies in the first quarter of 2022 was only Rs. 12.4 billion, a sharp drop from 2020 and 2021, the Auditor General’s Special Report on Procedures taken to avoid the Shortage of Pharmaceuticals in government hospitals by 13 May 2022, has revealed.
The amounts spent on medical supplies during the year 2020 and year 2021 were Rs. 83.5 billion and Rs. 73.6 billion respectively.
The actual quarterly average expenses on medical supplies in 2020 and 2021 were Rs. 20.8 billion and Rs. 18.4 billion respectively, the report has said.
The number of pharmaceutical items used in hospitals as Vital, Essential and Non-essential is 1,146; the number of surgical items is 8,648; the number of laboratory items is 3,900 and the number of the X-ray items is 44.
By 13 May, the number of Vital and Essential drugs out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals was 190 and 51 respectively. Besides, 2,724 and 2,156 Vital and Essential surgical items were out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals respectively at that time.
The number laboratory items and X-ray items out of stock in the Medical Supplies Division and hospitals was 850 and 18 respectively.The report says the future annual requirement is estimated by the respective hospital authorities based on the consumption and the remaining stocks, and sent to the Medical Supplies Division 13 months prior to the month in which the supply is required.
In the process of procuring medical supplies, the Medical Supplies Division has to send orders to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation for the procurement of estimated items with a supply period of 11 months.
The report has stated that the National Drug Quality Assurance Laboratory was established under the National Medicine Regulatory Authority to assist in the process of verifying the standards of procured medical supplies. Cabinet approval was given, on 15 October 2009, for the five-year Development Plan from 2010 to 2015, which was prepared at a cost of Rs. 410 million to develop the infrastructure and human resources of the National Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory with a view to increasing the number of laboratory tests to check the quality of medical supplies.
According to the Manual on Management of Drugs, pharmaceuticals should be stored in well-ventilated spaces at specified temperatures. The Medical Supplies Division should maintain a secure stock for three months, and in addition to regular checks by a staff officer, sample testing should be done for the confirmation of the accuracy of drug storage and accounting.
The Auditor General’s report has said a number of other factors have contributed to shortages––poorly maintained computer system, lack of proper coordination and coordination between the Medical Supplies Division, the Ministry of Health, the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation of Sri Lanka, lack of regular monitoring, and progress of orders issued to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and noncompliance with the procurement schedule.
The AG has found that the Medical Supplies Division submitted lists of orders for the respective year to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka through MSMIS or PRONTO computer system with a lead time of 11 months, but the corporation had not immediately commenced procurement process for those orders and the procurement was delayed until written copies of the order list were received by the corporation.
It took more than 18 days to send the written copies of the orders to the Import Division of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation, and since procurement had only begun thereafter, part of the supply period of 11 months had elapsed. Pharmacists and senior officials in the Medical Supplies Division placed the order through the computer system, but there had been a delay in sending written documents., the Auditor General has said.
Although 41 orders out of 90 for eight vital items and essential items were issued by the computer system to the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka in the first two months of the year, it had taken between 18 days and six months for the Import Division of the State Pharmaceutical Corporation to receive the written copies of the order lists, the report found.
This shows that there is a lack of coordination among the Medical Supplies Division, Ministry of Health, State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka and State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation, which are mainly involved in the management of medical supplies, the Auditor General has observed in his report.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
