There is reportedly a shortage of a drug vital for the treatment of patients who have undergone kidney transplants. Kidney patients say they are facing a great predicament due to the shortage of the drug ‘cyclosporine’ at the Kandy General Hospital.
The spokesman to the Kidney Patients Welfare Society (KPWS) says they have repeatedly informed authorities of the situation, but to no avail.
Even though cyclosporine, immunosuppressant drug, should be given continuously following a kidney transplantation to prevent rejection, patients at the Kandy general Hospital have not been provided the drug for the past 6 months, putting the lives of around 800 patients in danger.
The importing of inferior drugs, highly unsuitable for usage, by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation has caused millions in losses, albeit the Ministry of Health has made fund allocations for importing medicinal drugs, the KPWS spokesman told Ada Derana.
He also claimed that relevant authorities had stated that it would take more than another 2 months to import and bring down a shipment of the drug in question.
Meanwhile the President of the Lanka Suvaseva Sangamaya, Gamini Kumarasinghe says there is a shortage of essential equipment such as syringes at several state hospitals.
UNP MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam in parliament yesterday (21) had stated that the Kuliyapitiya Hospital administration had informed him that there is shortage of drugs at the hospital.
