COVID-19 fund to be used to purchase essential drugs
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has issued directives to utilize the balance funds amounting to Rs.1.8 billion in the COVID-19 Fund, for the purchase of essential medicines.
The President made this observation during a discussion at the President’s House this morning (03) pertaining to urgent matters in the health sector.Many donations were received to the COVID-19 Fund from donors during the Covid-19 pandemic and the President said that as the Covid-19 threat has eased, these funds could be utilized for health sector requirements.
The President pointed out that 234 types of medicines required for hospitals are being manufactured locally and that it is possible to expedite the production of locally manufactured drugs and obtain the required ingredients under Indian loan assistance.There are 12 investors that have come forward to establish drug manufacturing facilities in the Oyamaduwa and Horana Millewa areas while manufacturing operations are set to begi in the next few months while there is a potential to produce more than 200 types of drugs in these facilities, officials said.