The Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association (MCPA) called on the President to launch an immediate investigation into the move to purchase an antibiotic by paying Rs.500 million extra.

During a news briefing held in Colombo yesterday (24), Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa of the MCPA said that a shortage of antibiotics has been created due to the disagreement between the minister and officials.

Currently, he said a tender has been called for the purchase of a stock of 2.5 million vaccines belonging to the Cefuroxime category.

He said the Health Ministry is acting in a suspicious way and it seemed that an invisible hand is influencing the awarding of the tender to the company that offered to buy it at 75 cents each instead of the company that offered to buy it for 25 cents.

Although nearly 90,000 vaccines have been purchased through the companies that have offered to provide drugs at a low cost, he asked why the tender board had recommended the company that has suggested higher prices by questioning the quality of the company that has provided vaccines at a lower cost.

“After this questionable transaction, it was reported that a request has been made to the Procurement Appeal Committee of the President’s Secretariat to give the recommendation,” he said.

“If the minister is attempting to award tenders at a higher price instead of referring the relevant recommendation to the Cabinet and implementing it, the President should directly intervene and investigate this transaction,” he also said.

Meanwhile, the doctor said that the Health Minister and the officials of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) had previously stated that when purchasing emergency drugs for Sri Lanka, there was no time to scientifically check the quality of the drugs and that they were going to purchase the drugs only by checking the documents.