Let the law take its course

The fear expressed by several organisations of doctors to prescribe medicines and medical equipment to be purchased from private pharmacies after the arrest of Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital neurosurgeon Dr. Maheshi Wijeratne does not seem to be justifiable.

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She was arrested not just for prescribing any medicine or medical equipment to be purchased from outside, but for allegedly making patients purchase a specific type of medical equipment from a particular private pharmacy at an allegedly exorbitant price, using her position at the hospital.

Any suspect is innocent until he/she is proven guilty in a court of law and so is Dr. Wijeratne. However, pressures exerted from outside the judicial process could lead to misunderstanding. Hence, there is a possibility that the fear expressed by doctors could be interpreted as a subtle effort to justify her alleged act.

This might happen in Sri Lanka where impunity is common and a norm. When former minister Keheliya Rambukwella was accused of being involved in purchasing substandard medicines by opposition parties and trade unions of the health sector, the entire government of the day stood by him. The ruling party even defeated a no-confidence motion brought against minister Rambukwella over this allegation.