Sri Lanka's Health Minister cracks the whip on local gauze manufacturers

Sri Lanka Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena warned local gauze manufacturers Wednesday that their quota permits will be suspended immediately if they failed to supply gauze to state healthcare institutions on time.

Ministry spokesperson W.M.D. Wanninayake has been quoted in the local media saying that 262 gauze manufacturers had undertaken to supply surgical gauze in time to overcome the scarcity of surgical gauze at government hospitals.
The agreement had been reached during a discussion between Minister Sirisena and the gauze manufacturers.
According to Wanninayake, the scarcity of gauze in state hospitals had even resulted in the postponement of several surgeries scheduled in the hospitals.
However, the gauze manufacturers had attributed the delay in supplying gauze to state hospitals to rains, elections and the festive season.
They had also requested the Ministry to place orders for gauze on an annual basis to help the manufacture of gauze on a large scale and maintain a buffer stock.