• Denies contact lens shortage
• Says MSD has sufficient stocks of differing strengths and that eye surgeries continue unabated 

The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena emphasised that statements made by several parties claiming a shortage of contact lenses within hospitals across the country including the National Eye Hospital in Colombo, are not true.

The Daily Morning earlier reported on the delays in purchasing intraocular lenses which are used for cataract surgeries, with the Health Ministry's own SWASTHA online medicine stock database reporting that, stocks of lenses were ‘zero’ at the MSD, at institutions and at national level. 

Joining a press conference held in Colombo, Dr. Gunawardena stated that the eye surgeries are being carried out in those hospitals as usual. “Even now, the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) has sufficient stocks of lenses in different strengths. We perform surgeries in hospitals where there is an eye surgeon, especially in the National Eye Hospital, teaching hospitals and other hospitals where there are eye surgeons available. The surgeries are carried out as usual.  There are no postponements in the surgeries.”