Slashing Of Several Expensive Drug Prices in July

Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne says the price of a number of expensive medicinal drugs (eg. cancer treatment drugs) will be reduced in July2018..

The ministry stated that 48 essential drugs will undergo huge price cuts during the first step of this implementation, while its second stage will reduce the price of expensive drugs.

Following this price reduction the Minister has decided to revise the charges levied by all private hospitals.

According to the Minister, the exemption of VAT from OPD services has resolved several health service-related issues. Accordingly he has decided to implement hospital price regulation.He says that necessary actions will be taken to eradicate the country’s drug mafia.

The Minister also added that he has successfully uprooted cancer drug mafia and complications regarding the cancer vaccine imported from Russia have not yet been reported.

Massive objection from the media was received after the vaccine was introduced, but it had been imported to Sri Lanka with the approval from the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, emphasized the Minister.