For the past month the following essential drugs are not available for out-patients at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) -

• aspirin [Prevention of heart attacks, strokes etc]
• atorvastatin, simvastatin, lovastatin [Lipid lowering drugs]
• iso-sorbite mononitrate (ISMN) [Symptomatic Relief of Ischaemic Heart Disease]
• beclamethasone inhaler capsules [Preventive therapy of Asthma]
• salbutamol inhaler capsules [Symptomatic relief of Asthma]
• ciprofloxacin [A widely used effective antibiotic]
• 1-alpha calcidiol [Essential to prevent calcium deficiency and bone demineralization in Chronic Kidney Disease, Also used to treat Osteoporosis]
• calcium lactate [As above]

And from this week even insulin is not available !!!

To cap it all, milk has also been omitted from the hospital diet, posing a major problem in providing nutrition to patients on tube feeding.