Tender awarded even before Cabinet decision

Procurement of fake Immunoglobulin:

Ex-State Minister says this particular medicine cannot be produced here

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Kavinda Jayawardana yesterday (20) said that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government fiercely protected those who had been responsible for a spate of corrupt deals at the Health Ministry.

The recent arrest of former Health Secretary Janaka Sri Chandragupta over the procurement of fake Immunoglobulin by the Ministry was just one of many corrupt deals, the Gampaha District lawmaker told The Island.

The Parliament on 08 Sept., 2023 defeated a no-confidence motion moved against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, thereby allowing the sordid operations to continue, he said.

“The SLPP saved Minister Rambukwella,” Jayawardana said, adding that 113 MPs who voted against the no-faith motion and 38 absentees at the time of the voting, following a three-day debate, owed the country an esplanation.

MP Jayawardana emphasised that the arrested Health Secretary had been the Chief Accounting Officer of that particular Ministry and also functioned as the head of the Health Sector Emergency Procurement Committee (HSEPC).

At the time of his arrest, Chandragupta, a Special Grade Officer in the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, was on retirement. Chandragupta received the appointment as Health Secretary on May 24, 2022 close on the heels of Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa’s resignation.

Former Director General of Health Services and one time additional Secretary, Dr. Palitha Maheepala was brought in November this year as Chandragupta’s successor.

Responding to another query, MP Jayawardena said that about a week before the Parliament voted on the no-confidence motion against Minister Rambukwella, he along with Gampaha District colleague Harshana Rajakaruna filed a fundamental rights petition targeting the Minister concerned and several senior officials, including Chairman NMRA (National Medicine Regulatory Authority) and DGHS (Director General of Health Services).

Health sector sources said that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Director, Medical Supplies Division Dr. Kapila Wickremenayake, Assistant Director Devashantha Soloman, Accountant (Supplies) Neran Dhananjaya and the Stock Controller of the Medical Supplies Division Sujith Kumara in connection with the high profile scam on Nov 20, the day Chandragupta retired, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.

About a week after their arrest the CID recorded a statement from Finance Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana in connection with the ongoing investigation. Chandragupta was taken into custody about three weeks later.

Arrested on Dec 18, Chandragupta was remanded till Dec 17 by Maligakanda Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrema pending further investigations.

Former State Health Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana told The Island that some authorities, including police and a section of the media erroneously claimed that the ongoing investigation centered on the import of substandard Immunoglobulin vials.

The CID arrested Aruna Deepthi, the 57-year-old proprietor of Isolez Biotech Pharma on Oct 31 for supplying fake Immunoglobulin vials.

Prof. Jayasumana emphasized that Sri Lanka lacked the knowhow and the technology to produce Immunoglobulin vials under any circumstances. But, the government had accepted Isolez Biotech Pharma as a local producer capable of producing the Immunoglobulin vials thereby abusing the Indian credit line that was meant to import a range of items from India, including medicine.

Some concerned parties, including Ravi Kumudesh, President, College of Medical Laboratory Science, Dr. Rukshan Bellana, President, Government Medical Officers’ Forum and Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, President of the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association took up health sector corruption.

Prof. Jayasumana said that the Immunoglobulin controversy had caused irreparable damage to the country’s image. “Whatever the problems, our health service was considered in line with Western standards,” Prof. Jayasumana said, urging the government to punish those responsible, regardless of their standing in society.

The Immunoglobulin issue came to light following reports of allergic reactions after the drug was administered to several patients being treated at the Colombo National Hospital and the Matale District Hospital on August 22 and September 16, respectively. Academy of Health Professionals on November 05 alleged that blood required for the production of the fake Immunoglobulin vials had been obtained from the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).

Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama appearing with Senior State Counsel Heshani Wijesinghe making submissions earlier on the progress of the CID investigations has told Maligakanda Magistrate Court that prior to the Cabinet decision taken in October 2022, tenders had been called in September 2022 and the 1st suspect Aruna Deepthi had been selected as the successful tenderer for Human Immunoglobulin and Rituximab.

She said according to the Ministry Chief Accountant Savidra Cooray the 1st suspect’s company Isolez Biotech Pharma had requested for payments for Rituximab supplied and the Secretary Health Chandragupta had approved the payment of Rs 107,799,481/= in three payments to the 1st suspect, directing it to be paid on a priority basis.

However, the CID arrested Director, Medical Supplies Division Dr. Kapila Wickremenayake, who hadn’t been even attached to the unit at the time, but away in the UK from January to Dec 2022, in connection with the inquiry.

Dr. Bellana said that one of those doctors directly involved in the corrupt procurement process had fled the country. That doctor served as an Additional Secretary in charge of emergency procurement who wielded power as he happened to be a brother of a sitting ruling party MP, Dr. Bellana said. The trade union activist stressed that he didn’t imply the involvement of the MP whatsoever in the scam, but pointed out the need to conduct a no holds barred investigation.

The Additional Secretary had been also under investigation and the matter was also brought to the notice of the Maligakanda court, Dr. Bellana said, urging the government not to play politics with this issue.

Maligakanda Magistrate on Monday (18) ordered the office of Additional Secretary to the Health Ministry Dr. Saman Ratnayake sealed. Dr. Bellana said that the Doctor who fled the country had been an aide to Dr. Ratnayake, who held several other posts.

Dr. Bellana said that Minister Rambukwella couldn’t wash his hands of the developing situation as he, through a Cabinet paper, created the post of Additional Secretary, Emergency procurement to accommodate Dr. Ratnayake.