The extension of the computerised drugs data network to Provincial Council maintained hospitals commenced on Monday.
Health Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne Senaratne said the computerised drug data network had cost around Rs. 900 million and its extension programme will be completed by mid next year.
The computer software will be extended to hospitals managed by provincial councils this year he said addressing the Provincial Health Ministers’ conference held at the National Blood Transfusion Centre on Monday.
There was a shortage of nearly 44 to 79 types of medicinal drugs in the country as highlighted by the media when I assumed duties as Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister, he said.
“The State Pharmaceuticals Corporation had destroyed a stock of outdated medicinal drugs valued at nearly Rs 350 million in 2014. The main reason for this was the unsystematic distribution network. This drug shortage was overcome in 2016 by introducing a computer software to Central Government hospitals,” he said.
Dr.Senaratne said only a stock of outdated drugs worth Rs 40 million was destroyed by the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) in 2017 after the introduction of this computer software.
The World Health Organisation too had identified Sri Lanka as the first country in the world to streamline the medicinal drugs distribution network by introducing a drug data network. He hoped to introduce this as a project proposal before the World Health Organisation shortly.
Dr. Senaratne said that there had been information about certain pharmacists trying to create an artificial drug shortage for political reasons. The Ministry had launched an investigation into it.
An investigation was also being carried out at the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital.
The Minister also presented computers to Provincial Health Ministers and Provincial Health Services Directors at this event.