Drugs running out, surgeries cancelled as Sri Lanka's health system buckles

Sri Lanka’s healthcare system is close to collapse, under the weight of the island nation’s worst economic crisis. As well as shortages of vital drugs, some procedures and tests have been suspended.
 

The lack of foreign exchange has left President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government unable to import essentials including medicines and fuel, causing severe power cuts and bringing thousands of protesters on to the streets demanding his ouster.
 

An internal memo from a major state-run hospital in Colombo said that only emergency, casualty and malignancy surgeries would be conducted from April 7 onwards because of a lack of surgical supplies.
 

Sri Lanka’s government doctors association on Tuesday launched an urgent appeal seeking medicines to supplement hospitals in the island nation amidst its worst economic crisis that has left the country with a drug shortage.
 

Government Medical Officers’ Association, which is the doctor’s trade union, have opened up a portal seeking donations of medicines and consumables as part of their initiative to bring at least a temporary relief to the medicine shortage in such a time. 

China says doing ‘utmost’ to help

China on Tuesday reiterated that it is doing its “utmost” to provide assistance to debt-ridden Sri Lanka, even as Beijing maintained a steady silence on Colombo’s request for debt rescheduling as well as extending the promised $2.5-billion credit assistance.                                                                                                   PTI