President urges officials to expedite NMRA Act amendments

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed health authorities to propose amendments to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Act to address the current drug shortage in the country. He also urged for the expedited re-approval process for drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to avoid shortages during surgical procedures.

 

 

The President further instructed officials to explore the possibility of directly ordering drugs approved by the US FDA and the UK, bypassing the NMRA process. These instructions were given during a discussion on healthcare-related issues at the President's Office.

 

 

President Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of ensuring the timely availability of medicines for the public and urged transparency in drug availability data, which should be made accessible through a particular website maintained by the Ministry of Health.

 

 

Additionally, the President issued instructions regarding extending the retirement age of doctors up to 63 years until the end of 2024, considering the needs of the Ministry of Health in exceptional cases. He also suggested amending regulations to allow individuals from the arts stream to be recruited for nursing training.

 

 

The meeting also addressed concerns about the quality of imported drugs, equipment, and vaccines and reports of alleged medical negligence at healthcare institutions.