Individual received Rs. 2.5m each from 400 drug companies

President Maithripala Sirisena told Parliament yesterday that a certain person who had blocked the National Medicine Regulatory Authority Bill coming to Parliament during last regime obtained benefits amounting to Rs. 2.5 million each from 400 pharmaceutical companies.

“I still do not know what has happened to those monies. But, I have been able to win against all those sinister forces and to bring this Bill before Parliament for the benefit of poor people of this country”. The President said: “I began work on the Bill in 2010 and finished work in December 2012. Then I presented it to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for necessary action. “A female official, who was in charge of this Bill at the Legal Draftsman’s Department said that they would finalise the legal aspects of the Bill and it will be presented to the Cabinet within one week. However, time passed and there was no sign of the Bill. Then, that lady officer who did work on this Bill retired. Then I asked the officials of the Legal Draftsman’s Department whether they have any information on the Bill. They said no. Then, I called the lady officer and asked whether she had any information about the Bill. She said it was in her computer and she will give it. But, I did not get any details. So, we had to reform it from the beginning. I must thank Dr. Beligaswatta, Specialist Dr. Palitha Abeykoon and all other Professors and Doctors at the Colombo University and officials of the Health Ministry and Legal Draftsman’s Department for their great service and contribution for formulation this Bill. Commencing the second reading debate on the Bill, the President said, “I am pleased to begin this debate on the National Medicine Regulatory Authority Bill which was limited to only discussions for the past 45 years. This Bill which will immensely benefit the public would further strengthen our free healthcare system. The Bill will provide for the establishment of a regulatory authority to be know as the National Medicines Regulatory Authority. The Authority will be responsible for the regulation and control of, registration, licensing, manufacture, importation and all other aspects pertaining to medicines, medical devices and bord line products. The Authority will also be responsible for conducting of clinical trials in a manner compatible with the National Medicines Policy. “These steps would restore a health service where the well-being of the patients is given top priority. The facts behind this Bill, is a long story. This is a part of our 100-day programme which we are implementing today. I like to thank all the people who elected me as President and that is why it was possible to bring this Bill before Parliament today. At this moment we cannot forget Prof. Senaka Bibile who was a lover of humanity and a great son of the Motherland”. He introduced this Bill in the very year that he established the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation. However much we tried, it was not possible to bring this Bill before Parliament until now. I tried to get this Bill passed when I was the Health Minister in 2010 and former Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva also made a lot of efforts in this regard. “I heard that the reason for the disappearance of the Bill at the Legal Draftsman’s Department was 400 drug companies had paid Rs. 2.5 million each to a certain person. But, no investigation has been done against these officials of the Department with regard to the loss of the Bill. If this Department was under me, I would have done it, but everyone knows under whom this department functions. I specially thank the present Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Cabinet for taking measures to present this Bill in Parliament today. If there are any shortcomings in this new Bill, they can be referred at the committee stage. The public will not reap the benefits of this Bill in 24 hours. But they will get them in due course. I was also aware about the corruption at the State Pharmaceutical Corporation. “But, I was not allowed to take any action in this regard because the Chairman of the SPC was the personal physician of the former President. The former President always said at the Progress Review Meetings not to mention any corruption and not to suspect any officials and that the Auditor General would look into those matters. So, I was rendered helpless and I was unable to take any action against corruption. The Cosmetics, Devices and Drug Authority was also the den of corruption but I was not allowed to act in this matter. “Even though this Bill was passed today, the real benefits will flow to the people only if qualified people are appointed to oversee its implementation. I hope Minister Rajitha Senaratne will do that. We also have to increase the output of the State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation and to manufacture more drugs which are imported from Western countries at the moment”.