Sri Lankan health authorities have assured Indian pharma industry that the recent issues concerning the supply of sub-standard drugs would be settled amicably and the government will not resort to any harsh measures to ban the Indian companies.
This assurance was given by Sri Lankan Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena, while interacting with the select group of pharma companies here on Wednesday, under the aegis of the Pharmexcil. He was responding to the recent controversies regarding the suspension of tenders awarded to 10 Indian drug companies on the grounds of supplying substandard drugs, non-adherence to tender procedures and delaying deliveries.
The Sri Lankan Minister, while promising steps to ease the problems faced by the Indian exporters raised in the meeting, also sought help from the industry to strengthen the cooperation with his country. Indian industry urged the Minister not to target the entire industry in the name of a few companies which violated norms. Besides, issues concerning the exports were also raised in the meeting.
Earlier, the visiting minister also called upon the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and took up different issues concerning the health ties between the two countries. Azad appreciated the progress made by Sri Lanka in Public Health and achieving reduction in IMR, MMR and Communicable Diseases burden. He mentioned the concrete steps being taken by India under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to strengthen the health infrastructure in the rural areas, particularly in backward, inaccessible and remote districts and said that these investments have started showing results in the form of declining maternal and infant mortality rates now.
The recent cooperation in the health sector between India and Sri Lanka were noted and this co-operation would only be further strengthened by this bilateral meeting. Government of India has supplied medical equipment for Jaffna Teaching Hospital in January 2011. Government of India is also supplying medical equipment to two General Hospitals in Killinochchi and Mullaitivu and helping with construction of 150 bed base hospital at Dickoya which started in March 2011. Government of India has also announced a gift of Bhabha Radiotherapy Machine to Government of Sri Lanka. Government of India will set up a month long limb re-fitment camp (Jaipur foot) in Jaffna this year.
The Sri-Lankan side sought further help in training of medical and paramedical personnel (Short Term Skill Up-Gradation; Long Term Degree Courses); advice and guidance in procurement procedures of medical equipment, devices and medicines (mostly generic drugs for their public health program) as nearly 80 per cent of the supplies comes from Indian pharma companies. Azad has assured full assistance to Sri Lanka in all issues raised by them.