• Concerns raised on resurrection of Ranil-era regulatory powers handover deal

The Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) has called on the Minister of Health and Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa to reveal the contents of the health-related agreement signed during the visit of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka.

The exchange of seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed between India and Sri Lanka took place during the Indian Premier's visit to Sri Lanka. The said MoUs included two MoUs between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media of Sri Lanka, and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the MCPA President, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa claimed that there are growing suspicions that the current Government may have revived a controversial agreement proposed under the previous administration of then-President Ranil Wickremesinghe. At the time, he claimed that the then-Health Minister had submitted a Cabinet memorandum to grant regulatory powers over Sri Lanka’s pharmaceutical supply to a selected Indian company. "The proposal included allowing medicines registered with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation of India to enter Sri Lanka without local inspection, to purchase a pharmaceutical drug manufactured in Sri Lanka from India, and to procure drugs to the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation from an Indian contraceptive manufacturer. However, the plan was withdrawn following strong objections." He further claimed that there was reason to believe that the same agreement may have been implemented under the current administration, and added that it was the Health Minister’s duty to clarify the matter and provide transparency to the public. “There is a stark difference between a Government-to-Government agreement and one that hands over regulatory powers to intermediary foreign companies. The public deserves to know whether the sovereignty of Sri Lanka’s healthcare system is being compromised.”

Dr. Jayatissa and the Health Ministry's Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe were unavailable for comment.