PARLIAMENT

236/2024

Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney at Law,— To ask the Minister of Health and Mass Media,—(1)

(a) Will he accept—

(i) that there has been a shortage of medicines and the prices of medicines have increased unusually because of the lack of coordination between the parties involved in the medical supply process as well as because of the failure to maintain the database properly; and

(ii) that this situation has become a challenge for the existence of the entire health system?

(b) Will he inform this House—

(i) whether a computer software system is available to manage the stocks of medicines in the public health system;

(ii) if so, what the aforesaid system is;

(iii) whether the aforesaid system is updated regularly;

(iv) whether the process of purchasing medicines and the distribution of stocks are monitored regularly;

(v) ​​who bears the responsibility for that;

(vi) of the irregularities and the weaknesses, which have been identified in this entire process; and

(vii) of the measures that are being taken to prevent them?

(c) If not, why?