By The Pulseline News Desk
Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has acknowledged a shortage of Filgrastim injections at government hospitals, including the Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama, with the Government now working to restore supplies within a week.
The shortage was raised in Parliament by member of parliament (MP) Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, who has noted that Filgrastim – an essential medicine used in chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation and other cancer-related treatments – was in short supply at Apeksha Hospital and other State hospitals.
Rasamanickam has said the shortage was placing an additional financial burden on patients, with some reportedly forced to purchase the medicine from private pharmacies.
According to the MP, Filgrastim injections were being sold for between Rs. 17,000 and Rs. 23,000 per injection, while Neupogen injections were reportedly priced at between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 30,000 in some areas.
Responding, Minister Jayatissa has confirmed that hospitals had been experiencing a shortage of Filgrastim since July and said a special medical team had been appointed to address the situation.
He has said Sri Lanka’s annual requirement for the 300-microgram Filgrastim injection was approximately 300,000 vials, while the daily requirement was around 900.
The Apeksha Hospital alone requires approximately 9,750 vials a month, or around 325 injections a day, the Minister has said.
Jayatissa has said the Government had placed an order for 310,000 vials for 2026 in January 2025, while the order for 2027 had been placed in December 2025.
However, complications had arisen with a consignment received earlier this year.
According to the Minister, 160,000 vials were brought from China in May this year under the order placed for 2027.
“However, the syringe had not been labelled properly as required by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). Only the cardboard packaging had the label, which was a major deviation in procurement regulations set by the NMRA,” he has said.
The issue with labelling meant the consignment could not be used as intended, contributing to the shortage currently experienced by State hospitals.
Jayatissa has said the Government was now taking urgent measures to replenish stocks.
He has said instructions had been issued to procure the required medicine through air cargo, which would enable the immediate shortage to be addressed within approximately one week.
Procurement through the normal process, however, could take at least six weeks, he has said.
The Minister’s assurance comes amid concerns over the impact of medicine shortages on cancer patients, many of whom require regular access to Filgrastim as part of their treatment.
Rasamanickam has called for the Government to establish continuous monitoring of Filgrastim stocks across State hospitals to prevent similar shortages from developing.
He has also urged the Health Ministry to introduce a long-term procurement mechanism to ensure that essential medicines remain available without interruptions.
The shortage has once again highlighted the challenges facing the State pharmaceutical procurement system, particularly when regulatory requirements, procurement timelines and urgent patient needs intersect.
With the Government now opting for emergency air-cargo procurement, attention will turn to how quickly stocks can be restored and whether longer-term measures can prevent another disruption in the supply of an essential medicine used in cancer care.
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