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Health Minister bypasses President’s orders on medicinal drug imports

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Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella—who returned yesterday from a three-night trip to Chennai undertaken on the invitation of a medical supplier he is promoting for a lucrative Health Ministry contract—ignored Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s instructions to follow established guidelines and submitted two consecutive unsolicited proposals from locally unregistered Indian companies to buy drugs under the Indian credit line.

According to Cabinet memoranda and other documents, he also attempted to broaden the scope of unsolicited proposals to include, not just two selected Indian suppliers (one of which is the company that invited him to India) but “other selected suppliers” and “other funding sources”. If this is approved by the Cabinet, it will grant Health Ministry officials—and the Minister—widespread discretion to make medical purchases from favoured entities bypassing the competitive tender process.

The Cabinet has so far sanctioned the Health Minister’s request to buy medical supplies without competitive tender from one selected company named Savorite Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd while approval for an unsolicited proposal from a second entity—Kausikh Therapeutics (P) Ltd—is pending.

Neither company is registered with the local regulator, National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). And none of the drugs to be ordered from them is registered to its name by the NMRA.

On Wednesday, Minister Rambukwella left for Chennai, on the invitation of Kausikh Therapeutics to inspect its factory. A Health Ministry letter to the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought protocol assistance for the Minister and the NMRA Chief Executive Officer, who accompanied him.

When the controversial visit came to light, the Minister claimed on social media that “NO [sic] state funding was used for this venture, as I have funded my own travel whilst the NMRA was independently funded & as such, added no burden to the State.”

He did not explain why he would spend private money on an official visit to inspect the factory of a supplier he was backing for a large medical goods contract.

Minister Rambukwella first submitted to the Cabinet in October a proposal to buy medical supplies through an unsolicited proposal from Savorite—citing longer lead times required to procure the goods by floating competitive tenders via the State Pharmaceutical Corporation—under the Indian credit line. He included a clause saying “and other selected suppliers” to allow the Health Ministry to use unsolicited proposals on a broader scale in the future.

However, President Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies, in his observations on the Health Minister’s proposal, instructed that, as the proposed supplier is selected on an unsolicited basis, the prices and quality of medical supplies should be reviewed and negotiated by the Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee (CANC) or Health Sector Emergency Procurement Committee (HSEPC) “to obtain realistic and reasonable prices on par with the market rates and also the quality of the drugs.”

Cabinet approval was given subject to these and other Finance Ministry recommendations that supported the route of competitive bidding for medical supplies contracts. The Cabinet did not allow broadening the scope to include other suppliers.

Notwithstanding this, the Ministry of Health sent a letter to the NMRA requesting a “waiver of registration” for a two-page list of drugs to be imported from Savorite—instead of asking the regulator to assess the quality of the medicines, as instructed by the Finance Minister.

Separately, there are already multiple authorised suppliers holding valid NMRA registration for each of the required products ordered from Savorite.

(sundaytimes.lk)

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Joe Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer

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Former US President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, a statement from his office said on Sunday.

Biden, who left office in January, was diagnosed on Friday after he saw a doctor last week for urinary symptoms.

The cancer is a more aggressive form of the disease, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 out of 10. This means his illness is classified as “high-grade” and the cancer cells could spread quickly, according to Cancer Research UK.

Biden and his family are said to be reviewing treatment options. His office added that the cancer was hormone-sensitive, meaning it could likely be managed.

In Sunday’s statement, Biden’s office said: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.

“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.”

After news broke of his diagnosis, the former president received support from both sides of the aisle.

President Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that he and First Lady Melania Trump were “saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis”.

“We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family,” he said, referring to former First Lady Jill Biden. “We wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Former Vice-President Kamala Harris, who served under Biden, wrote on X that she and her husband Doug Emhoff are keeping the Biden family in their prayers.

“Joe is a fighter – and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” Harris said.

In a post on X, Barack Obama – who served as president from 2009 to 2017 with Joe Biden as his deputy – said that he and his wife Michelle were “thinking of the entire Biden family”.

“Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace. We pray for a fast and full recovery,” Obama said. In 2016, Obama tasked Biden with leading a “cancer moonshot” government-wide research programme.

(BBC News)

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Special traffic plan during 16th War Heroes’ Commemoration today 

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The 16th National War Heroes’ commemoration ceremony will be held today (May 19) at the National War Hero Cenotaph in Sri Jayawardhanapura under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The commemoration event is scheduled to begin at 4.00 pm.

Parallel to the event, a special traffic plan will be implemented in and around the Battaramulla area, according to the Sri Lanka Police.

Authorities have emphasized that no road closures will be enforced.

However, in the event of traffic congestion, movement along Parliament Road – from Polduwa Junction to Kiyayam Junction via Jayanthipura – may be restricted for vehicles traveling to and from Colombo.

To minimize inconvenience, the police have issued the following alternative routes:

For vehicles exiting Colombo: Travel from Polduwa Junction to Battaramulla Junction, then proceed from Palam Thuna Junction to Kiyayam Junction.

For vehicles entering Colombo: Travel from Kiyayam Junction to Palam Thuna Junction, then proceed to Battaramulla Junction and continue to Colombo via Polduwa Junction.

Motorists are advised to follow police instructions and use the designated alternative routes to avoid delays during the commemorative events.

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Nalinda departs for Switzerland to attend WHO assembly

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Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa left for Switzerland yesterday (May 18) to attend the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) organized by the World Health Organization (WHO).  

The assembly will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from May 19 – 27 under the theme – “One World for Health”.

Health ministers from all WHO member states, along with over 5,000 delegates representing global health sectors, are expected to attend the assembly.

It’s reported that this will feature wide-ranging discussions with representatives from various countries, during which proposals, ideas, and research data will be reviewed to make key decisions and formulate plans to improve global health conditions in the coming year.

In addition to the Minister of Health, the Sri Lankan delegation to the WHA78 includes the Health Ministry Secretary – Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva – Himali Arunathilaka, and the mission’s First Secretary – Nishanthini Victor.

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