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Lab techs warn of blood transfusions coming to a halt 

10 Nov 2022

  •  Note lack of supply of test reagents due to permitting a monopoly 
  •  Health Ministry admits general shortage but denies monopoly 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera As the Ministry of Health has not arranged a proper system for the supply of reagents for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, which is essential for the blood transfusion service, a situation has arisen where the blood transfusion services will have to be stopped completely in the coming week, claimed the College of Medical Laboratory Science (CLMS). Speaking to The Morning, CMLS President Ravi Kumudesh alleged that blood transfusion services will have to be stopped completely in the coming week, as the Ministry has not prepared a proper programme for the supply of reagents for the said test, but has instead deliberately allowed a single supplier to establish a market monopoly. By registering only the aforesaid supplier for the supply of reagents needed for the ELISA test, he claimed, all possible options have been curtailed, other than being subjected to that supplier’s terms and prices. “On the one hand, by unnecessarily and irrationally delaying the registrations by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), and on the other hand, by not providing tender documents even to a company that has requested registration from the NMRA, certain officials have helped this supplier establish a market monopoly and the Ministry will therefore not be able to continue blood transfusion services without being subjected to the conditions of that company,” he claimed. Kumudesh also claimed that a tender was recently called through the Asian Development Fund for the purchase of reagents, and that certain project directors have worked to maintain the monopoly of the aforesaid supplier by not even allowing the companies that do not have the NMRA registration to obtain the relevant advertisement to submit tenders. Due to this, he said that areas such as emergency surgeries, planned surgeries, the transplantation of organs such as kidneys and the liver, the treatment of accident victims, childbirth and the needs of pregnant mothers, the treatment of those with blood circulation-related needs such as thalassemia, and the treatment of blood cancer patients such as those ailing from leukemia and lymphoma, will be in a serious crisis.  When contacted by The Morning to inquire about the matter, Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director General, and Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath said that as part of the prevailing shortage of medical supplies in the country, there has been a shortage of reagents needed for blood transfusion services. However, he said that he is not aware as to a time period until which the available reagents will be enough, while also stating that there is no possibility of a company establishing a market monopoly of reagents as the Government has a strong procurement policy.   


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