Editor's Pick: Indian drugs under lens in Sri Lanka over adverse events

Drugs manufactured in India are under sharp scrutiny within Sri Lanka after multiple incidents of medical complications and fatalities were reported in patients who were administered medicines sourced from India. On June 16, a patient undergoing treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital in the Kandy district died after being given the Indian-manufactured anaesthetic Bupivacaine, local media reported. Less than two months ago, a pregnant woman was reported dead at the hospital, after being given an Indian anaesthetic drug, following which the Health Ministry had suspended the use of the drug. In May 2023, doctors at the general hospital in Nuwara Eliya, in Sri Lanka’s Central Province, reported complaints of visual impairment among 10 patients who were administered Indian medicines after eye surgery. They cited the “presence of germs” in the medication as the reason for the patients’ condition. India has been Sri Lanka’s top source of medical supplies for years, accounting for nearly half of its pharmaceutical imports that in 2022 totalled about $450 million. Last year, when Sri Lanka was hit by a critical shortage of medicines during its economic meltdown, it continued procuring essential medical supplies from India, through the credit line offered by the Government of India, as part of its nearly $4 billion assistance to the island nation. The incidents also served as a reminder of recent cases in Gambia and Uzbekistan, where Indian-made cough syrups were recently linked to the deaths of dozens of children. The patient’s death at the Kandy hospital last week has once again raised questions on the quality of imported drugs as well as the responsibility of Sri Lanka’s national drug regulator. According to Vinya Ariyaratne, president of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, these cases highlight two problems in Sri Lanka’s health sector – the persistent shortage of drugs, and the serious concerns being raised about the quality of available drugs. The situation is “a national health emergency” requiring attention from the “highest levels”, Mr. Ariyaratne told The Hindu. The Hindu’s Editorials Preparedness pays off: On Cyclone Biparjoy Massacre of innocents: On the attack on a school on the Uganda-Congo border The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz The Similipal Tiger Reserve is located in which State of India? Jharkhand Madhya Pradesh Odisha Chhattisgarh To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 19 June 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( Indian drugs under lens in Sri Lanka over adverse events [Drugs manufactured in India]( are under sharp scrutiny within Sri Lanka after multiple incidents of medical complications and fatalities were reported in patients who were administered medicines sourced from India. On June 16, a patient undergoing treatment at the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital in the Kandy district died after being given the Indian-manufactured anaesthetic Bupivacaine, local media reported. Less than two months ago, a pregnant woman was reported dead at the hospital, after being given an Indian anaesthetic drug, following which the Health Ministry had suspended the use of the drug. In May 2023, doctors at the general hospital in Nuwara Eliya, in Sri Lanka’s Central Province, reported complaints of visual impairment among 10 patients who were administered Indian medicines after eye surgery. They cited the “presence of germs” in the medication as the reason for the patients’ condition. India has been Sri Lanka’s top source of medical supplies for years, accounting for nearly half of its pharmaceutical imports that in 2022 totalled about $450 million. Last year, when Sri Lanka was hit by a critical shortage of medicines during its economic meltdown, it continued procuring essential medical supplies from India, through the credit line offered by the Government of India, as part of its nearly $4 billion assistance to the island nation. The incidents also served as a reminder of recent cases in [Gambia]( and [Uzbekistan]( where Indian-made cough syrups were recently linked to the deaths of dozens of children. The patient’s death at the Kandy hospital last week has once again raised questions on the quality of imported drugs as well as the responsibility of Sri Lanka’s national drug regulator. According to Vinya Ariyaratne, president of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, these cases highlight two problems in Sri Lanka’s health sector – the persistent shortage of drugs, and the serious concerns being raised about the quality of available drugs. The situation is “a national health emergency” requiring attention from the “highest levels”, Mr. Ariyaratne told The Hindu. The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Preparedness pays off: On Cyclone Biparjoy]( [Arrow][Massacre of innocents: On the attack on a school on the Uganda-Congo border]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz The Similipal Tiger Reserve is located in which State of India? - Jharkhand - Madhya Pradesh - Odisha - Chhattisgarh To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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