Sri Lanka state hospitals to display the prices of drugs given free of charge

Sri Lanka Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena has decided to display the prices of essential drugs in hospitals from next January 01.

The Minister points out that not only the patients but officials also are unaware of the prices of the drugs.
At a gathering of the Ministry of Health in Narahenpita yesterday, the Minister revealed that the Ministry spends Rs 200,000 to 300,000 per person for certain drugs for cancer patients. The Ministry spends around Rs 4 million for some cancer patients, he said.
The Ministry is also to establish a new unit to gather information about various aid given to the hospitals and to manage them properly as there is no system now to record the massive local and foreign aids given to the hospitals.
Abuse, waste, and corruption are often reported from the health sector of Sri Lanka.