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Bring down price of medicines by using the Senaka Bibile Policy
In the present context of rising prices of essentials, after food, the people are most hit by the high prices of medicines. With the fact that there is a severe shortage of medicines in the Government hospitals, patients are compelled to buy them from private pharmacies.
Though a few of them sell medicines at a reasonable price keeping an acceptable profit margin, unfortunately, a majority fleece the patients. Many poor patients can afford to buy only a portion of the prescribed medicine or not at all, and fail to recover from their illness.
Some patients with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure suffer due to partial control of their illness, with long term consequences, which can also be life threatening.
This situation can be rectified if we return to the Senaka Bibile Medicinal Drug Policy that was in operation during the 1970 SLFP/LSSP/CP Coalition Government period. During that period, every Government hospital had practically every required medicine for every illness in adequate amounts to be given to patients free of charge. These were available in adequate amounts and the quality was assured. There were hardly any rejections.
The prices in the private pharmacies too were low and the quality good, so that the private health sector too benefited. This was because Senaka Bibile established the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) which purchased the entire requirement of both state and private sectors. Globally tenders were called for the bulk purchase of the entire requirement. He ensured that the quality was good by obtaining certificates of good manufacturing practice and by periodic checks for quality control, both internally and externally.
In calling for tenders, he only used the generic term (the proper scientific name) of each medicine. By avoiding the company trade names, all the bulk producers of expensive brands had to compete with all producers of the much cheaper generics of good quality. Most Brand producers were used to buying generics and after applying their brand name to jack up their prices considerably. The patients were fooled by intensive advertising of the particular brand, and claiming that it ensured quality. The doctors were given all sorts of perks and even big bribes to ensure that the doctor prescribe that particular drug. The pharmacists were also bribed to give that brand drug when the prescription carried only the generic name. By making the SPC the sole importer for the entire country requirement Prof. Senaka Bibile ensured that the price to the consumer remained as low as possible, specially because the same medicines were being given free in the Government sector. To reach the public, he not only opened many SPC sales outlets in the bigger cities, but he also promoted outsourcing to private pharmacies.
His policy enabled the consumer through the intervention of the government to get low price good quality medicine. By ensuring that the government hospitals had all the medicines for practically every disease free of charge, the poor greatly benefited. The WHO and UNCTAD acclaimed him for his wonderful policy.
The 35th World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 1982 made special mention of his achievement. They then proceeded to recommend the adoption of this policy by all Third World countries. It was when he went to Guyana at the request of UNCTAD to train people there on his method that his premature death at the age of 57 years took place under mysterious circumstances.
This was a great loss not only to the poor people of Sri Lanka but also to the poor people of the world. The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) expected the State Pharmaceutical Corporation to mark the occasion by having the Annual Senaka Bibile Memorial Lecture. I am sorry to learn that this is not being held. The lack of time prevented the LSSP from having a commemorative meeting. I have to be content with sending this short article to the newspapers to mark the occasion.
I think it is my duty to mention that Prof. Bibile was born in Bibile on February 13, 1920. He had his secondary education at Trinity College Kandy and after completing his degree he received higher education in the University of Edinburgh, UK, specializing in Pharmacology. On his return to Sri Lanka he set up the first Department of Pharmacology at the University of Ceylon, Colombo. He was an excellent teacher and gave the students a clear understanding of the subject without the help of any notes.
With the establishment of the University at Peradeniya, he set up the Pharmacology Department. In addition, he developed a separate Education Unit for the academic staff to improve their teaching abilities. This was done when he became the first Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Peradeniya.
He was a convinced socialist and joined the Lanka Sama Samaja Party at a very early age. He was an admirer of Dr. N. M. Perera and Dr. Colvin R. de Silva among other leaders of the LSSP. As students we visited his house once a week, where he explained the teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky and other theoreticians in very clear and simple language. His ability as a teacher was a great help in acquiring this knowledge. In a way, we are indebted to him both for our knowledge of Medical Pharmacology as well as Marxism.
I had the good fortune to develop a lasting friendship with him. I still recall having dinner at his flat in Borella along with our wives Kamini and Leela the night before he left for Guyana. He mentioned that because of his policy which had greatly reduced the profits of the pharmaceutical drug industry that his life may be in in danger. He had received a warning not to go to Guyana.
He laughed this off and said that nothing would deter him from going ahead with spreading his ideas and helping the poor people in third world countries to benefit from his policy.
It was one of the saddest days of my life when I and Kamini went to Katunayake airport to receive Leela when she returned from Guyana with his ashes.
– Prof. Tissa Vitarana
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PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC is not bound by recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, or presidential directives in that regard, according to authoritative sources.
They said that the AG couldn’t under any circumstances initiate legal proceedings until he had received the full PCoI report.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the PCoI report on Feb 1. The President’s Office delivered a set of PCoI reports to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Feb 23, a day after the report was presented to the cabinet of ministers. The Island raised the matter with relevant authorities in the wake of a section of the media reporting the PCoI recommending punitive measures against former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, IGP Pujitha Jayasundera, Chief of State Intelligence Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, Chief of National Intelligence retired DIG Sisira Mendis and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Rishad Bathiudeen et al over the Easter Sunday carnage.
Sources pointed out that due to the inordinate delay in sharing the PCoI report with the AG, the department hadn’t been able to take preliminary measures required to initiate the proceedings. Sources said that a team of officers would take at least six weeks or more to examine the report before tangible measures could be taken.
With the AG scheduled to retire on May 24, 2021, even if the AG Department received the P CoI it would be quite a tough task to initiate proceedings ahead of retirement, sources said. However, in terms of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in last October, both the AG and the IGP could receive extensions beyond 60 at the President’s discretion.
Dappula de Livera received an Acting appointment as the AG a week after the Easter Sunday carnage whereas his predecessor Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, was elevated to Chief Justice.
Responding to another query, sources said that the Attorney General two weeks ago requested Secretary to the President for a copy of the P CoI. However, the AG was yet to receive one, sources said. In spite of the AG not receiving a P CoI copy, the AG had instructed the IGP to obtain a copy of the report when he requested the police to complete investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage. The AG issued specific instructions after having examined police files pertaining to the investigations.
The IGP, too, hadn’t received a copy so far though some sections of the report were in the public domain.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage displayed at a live political programme on Derana a copy of the P CoI report he received at the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Sources said that the Attorney General’s Department couldn’t decide on a course of action in respect of the Easter carnage on the basis of a section of the report. In terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Section 24), the AG enjoyed significant powers/authority in respect of investigations; sources said adding that the Department urgently required both the P CoI report and police investigations report. The Attorney General’s Department has raised the delay in receiving a P CoI report amidst the Catholic Church attacking the government over the same issue.
Sources said that ministerial committee appointed to study the P CoI report couldn’t decide on how to proceed with the recommendations and the matter was entirely in the hands of the AG. Sources pointed out that the delay on the part of the government to release the report had received the attention of sections of the international media, including the New York Times. Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera having met Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Bishop’s House on Dec 8, 2020 said that the AG would get a copy of the P CoI report once the President received it. Minister Weerasekera said that the CID had handed over the relevant files after having completed investigations into eight blasts. Referring to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the Easter Sunday carnage, the former Navy Chief of Staff said that all such documents would have to be brought to one place and considered before initiating legal proceedings. Acknowledging that there could be delays, lawmaker Weerasekera said that on the instructions of the Attorney General a 12-member team of lawyers was working on the case. The minister vowed to expose the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks. Investigations continued while some of those wanted were overseas, the minister said.
The minister acknowledged that the Attorney General couldn’t proceed without the P CoI report. Minister Weerasekera reiterated that once the President received the P CoI report, it would be sent to the Attorney General. The minister said that there were documents two to three feet high that needed scrutiny. The minister assured comprehensive investigation. The minister said that investigations pertaining to eight blasts had been completed and the reports handed over to the AG. However, the Attorney General had found shortcomings in those investigations.
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By Saman Indrajith
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday bombings had failed to identify the mastermind of , the JVP said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said that the PCoI report had levelled accusations against former President Maithripala Sirisena, former IGP and head of intelligence for their dereliction of duty, shirking of responsibilities and not taking action to prevent the attacks and negligence. There were reference to the causes of the terror attacks and actions to be taken to avoid such attacks and the influence of extremist organisations. “However, there is no mention of the mastermind of the attacks, the handlers of the attackers and those whose interests the carnage served. It is also not mentioned whether there has been any foreign or local organisation behind those attacks. As per the PCoI report the attack took place as a result of culmination of extremism.
“According to the PCoI the extremist activities were a result of the prevailing political situation then. The entire nation was waiting to see who was responsible and who masterminded those attacks. The PCoI has failed to identify the true culprits responsible for the terror attacks. The report says that the leader of the suicide cadres killed himself in the attacks and it was a puzzle. That means those who are actually responsible for the attacks are still at large. The report does not provide exact details of the sources of the attacks. The PCoI had sittings for one year and five months. It summoned various persons and got their statements but it has failed to shed any light on the terror attacks. Everybody knows that the top leaders of the government and heads of security and intelligence establishments failed in their duties. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the second in command and he too is bound by the responsibility but the PCoI report fails to identify him as one of the persons against whom legal action should be instituted. The PCoI has treated Wickremesinghe and former President Maithripala Sirisena differently. We are not telling that this report is a total failure but we cannot accept this as a complete report. The PCoI handed over its report to the President on Feb 1. After 23 days it was sent to Parliament. Now, a copy of the report is there in the parliamentary library for the perusal of MPs.”
Herath said that the PCoI did not have powers to take punitive action. “It only has powers to name those responsible and recommend action to be taken against those named.
