How bacteria exposed a scandal

WE'RE all familiar with the Sinhalese phrase 'nangi pen-nala akka dunna wage'. Which is a story of deception in which a prospective bachelor is promised the pretty younger sister but ends up being married off to the unattractive older sister. But who would have thought to do such a thing in pharmaceutical procurement?

- By Devinda de Silva

As the investigation went on, more and more findings were brought to light. But fortunately, or unfortunately, the answers we received have left us with more questions than when we startedsimilar to how the medicine that the patients were given left them worse off than they were before receiving treatment. Let us look at some of the pertinent questions coming out of the newest revelation in this maniacal medical mishap.

Where did oversight fail and who approved this purchase?

This wasn't your regular procurement. The Health Minister at the time allegedly pushed this procurement through using a 'waiver of registration', which is a fast-track process that skips the usual regulatory checks. Worse, the consignment was bizarrely classified as birth control substances to slip through Customs. The National Medicines Regulatory Authority ('NMRA') is responsible for regulating medicine and medical equipment. All power vests with this singular authority; but when asked about the matter, the NMRA said that it had neither issued a certificate nor a waiver of registration.

Two doors were left wide open. The first is a result of the regulatory failure. The NMRA's waiver process was applied without verifying supplier credentials or product origins, and it was reported that forged documents were accepted at face value. The second is the procurement shortcut. Emergency procurement was used to sidestep competitive bidding, allowing cronies to bring in substandard products at inflated prices.