Sri Lanka: Hard to find medicine, No fuel & serious transport issue

Amid the economic crisis and severe fuel shortage, Sri Lankans are finding it difficult to procure medicine and medical equipment. The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) said that the price of medicine and medical equipment has increased three to four times in the local market which has made it difficult for citizens to procure them.  Dr. Prasad Kolabage, a member of the GMOA Media Committee, stated that certain medicinal drugs are not available in the market and as a result, people are trying to go to hospitals to get their medicines since they cannot afford their cost. Local media reports that most of the medicines and medical importers have withdrawn from importing due to financial crisis caused by the dollar crunch and issues related to placing orders and transport issues. Certain importers have stopped importing medicines completely. These are the reasons for the current medicine scarcity in the country.
The transport issue has also become a very serious issue when it comes to distributing medicine in the country. With the limited medical supplies in the other provinces, the doctors have to adopt a limit in issuing medicines. Food production in the last harvest season was 40 - 50 per cent lower than last year, and the current agricultural season is at risk, with seeds, fertilizers, fuel, and credit shortages. Sri Lanka is one of the few nations named by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which is expected to go without food due to the global food shortage expected this year.