Government will address present drug shortage

The Ministry of Health says steps have been taken to address the shortage of several drugs reported at government hospitals.
Reports last week stated of a shortage of aspirin and salbatarmal. Accordingly Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva directed the State Pharmaceutical Corporation to immediately manufacture the two drugs. Consequently measures have been taken to distribute four million salbatarmal tablets and two million of its four milligram variety.
One million aspirin tablets have been released while another one million will be released this week. The Ministry points out that the main reason for shortages of drugs at hospitals is that hospital authorities have not informed the medicine supply unit on time of their requirements.
The Ministry pointed out that certain drugs such as arterial lines used for bypass surgeries need to be ordered one year before.