Indian medicines under lens in Sri Lanka over a series of adverse events

Source: The post is based on the article “Indian medicines under lens in Sri Lanka over a series of adverse events” published in The Hindu on 19th June 2023

What is the News?

Two patients have recently died after being given Indian-made anaesthetic drugs in Sri Lanka. This has raised questions about imported Indian drugs.

What happened in Sri Lanka related to Indian imported drugs?

Two people had died after being given the Indian-manufactured anaesthetic Bupivacaine. 

Indian drugs were in the news again in May 2023 as well when doctors in Sri Lanka’s Central Province reported complaints of visual impairment among 10 patients who were administered Indian medicines after eye surgery. 

The doctors cited the “presence of germs” in the eye medication as a reason for their patient’s condition. Health authorities initiated an inquiry and withdrew the drug to prevent further use.

These series of incidents have brought Indian drugs under sharp scrutiny within Sri Lanka.

Some highlighted the cases of Gambia and Uzbekistan, where Indian-made cough syrups were recently linked to the deaths of dozens of children.

India’s supply of medicines to Sri Lanka:

For years, India has been Sri Lanka’s top source of medical supplies, accounting for nearly half of its pharmaceutical imports that in 2022 totalled about $450 million. 

The trading link became more crucial in the wake of Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic meltdown last year, which led to critical shortages, including medicines. 

The crisis-hit Sri Lanka continued procuring essential medical supplies from India, through the credit line offered by the Government of India, as part of its nearly $4 billion assistance to the island nation.