'Why were the NMRA heads removed?'

By Carol Aloysius

The recent removal of two heads of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Chairman Professor Lal Jayakody and CEO Krishantha Weerasuriya drew mixed reactions from both medical and civil organisations.

Government Medical Officers Association ( GMOA) Secretary, Dr Nalinda Herath said, "The government appointed these two senior professors to implement the National Drugs Policy for which we fought for so long. While we accept there was some action by these officials which may not have been practical, the way they were removed without any notice was not correct," he said.

Once they were appointed, they should have been facilitated to carry out their duties. The sudden termination of their services is not the answer, as it violates their dignity."

Sri Lanka Medical Association ( SLMA) sources were not available for comment at the time of going to press.

The People's Movement for the Rights of Patients ( PMRP) President Louis Benedict said " we already issued a statement saying the it was only a few months since the NMRS was established and it was fair it should be given time to clear the accumulated backlog from the previous administration. If any new appointment have been made to replace them we feel it is in contravention of laws laid down in the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act No. 5 of 2015. We believe there is a drug mafia behind this move", he added.

President of the Organisation of Professional Associations ( OPA) Professor Rohana Kuruppu however remained tight-lipped saying " I don't know the exact reason for their removal, and so cannot comment on this."

Chairman Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Corporation ( SPC) Dr Hasitha Aluthge too refused to comment on the grounds that the organisation was under the same Ministry as the NMRA. He however rejected it was in contravention of laws laid down in the NMRA Act of 2015. Asked if public health could be adversely affected, he said, "My only question is why did the NMRA, delay so long in registering the listed drugs"?

The PMRP spokesman said "There were 15,000 drugs listed, which were far in excess of what we really need and the Treasury had to evaluate the cost of each drug before approving funding."