The President further said that no one should forget the past when they suffered without money to buy medicines, fuel, fertilizer, etc., and everyone should join the government’s program to build Sri Lanka through a new economic transformation without leaving such a dark experience to the next generation.
The President mentioned this while addressing the 9th conference of the All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association held yesterday (20) afternoon at the Golden Rose Hotel in Boralaskamuwa.
The President congratulated the Pharmacy Owners Association for not running away during the last Corona epidemic and economic crisis and fulfilling their responsibilities for the country.
The All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association was established after the New Medicines Act 2015 was passed. This association has contributed to many social welfare projects including controlling the price of drugs in the country, providing unconditional contribution to the work carried out to prevent shortage of drugs, strengthening the kidney fund and health fund of the government.
President Ranil Wickramasinghe presented awards to the President of All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association Deshamanya Sandika Ganganda and the best district associations and officials.
A memorial plaque was also presented to the President by the Board of Directors of the All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe who further commented here,
“On behalf of the government, I would like to express my special thanks to the Pharmacy Owners Association for providing the necessary medicines to the country during the last corona epidemic. You stepped forward and fulfilled your responsibility when the country was facing a difficult situation and government institutions were collapsing.
As per the notice given by your association regarding the issues that have arisen, they will be discussed and necessary steps will be taken. If many people are alive in this country today, it is because of your efforts. In the past, the country did not have the money to get the medicines it needed.
But you didn’t run away in that difficult time. You did your duty. That is what we expect from everyone in our country. But unfortunately it doesn’t happen. Neither you nor I know how to escape these problems. We are all committed to rebuilding the country as best we can.
When I took charge of this country, the country was in a very difficult situation. There is no foreign exchange in the country. There is no money to bring necessary medicines and fuel. We had to decide whether to spend the money on fuel or fertilizer. But we got fertilizers and started farming.
Through it we increased the production activities and took steps to get medicine and fuel to the people. We went through such a difficult situation. With money received from the Indian government, we were able to procure medicines from India. Also, with the money received from Bangladesh, we were able to get food items.
However, as a country we have had a very difficult first 6 months. After that the country began to develop gradually. There are times when people come to you and ask for medicines without money. You had to decide whether to treat them without giving them medicine, or to give them medicine by enjoying the narcissism.
We’ve all had to make those tough decisions. It is because we all struggled and made those decisions that we move forward as a country. Also VAT had to be increased. As a result of these results, the country’s revenue streams have increased and the rupee has strengthened and the economy has been able to move forward.
Last week, we held the second round of IMF Board of Directors discussions. It has been proved that the plan to lead Sri Lanka is correct. Accordingly, time has been given to repay the loan. And we are currently in discussions with China to complete this work.
We also hope to reach an agreement in discussions with Paris Club and non-Paris Club countries and other lenders. With this, the country is now recovering from the abyss it fell into. But the journey does not end there. But we need to focus on why we fell into the abyss as a country.
We have not created an export industry in this country. We had chances but we missed them all. When I went to China in 1979, China was a poorer country than us. Now China is giving us money. In 1991, when I was Minister of Industry, the Minister of Industry of Vietnam visited me.
He asked me how you got investments, how you got foreign exchange, how you created trade zones. He listened to my instructions. But now if I go to Vietnam I will have to ask him about it.
We missed all the opportunities we had. If we don’t fix this and move towards a new economy, we will fall back into the abyss as a country. Want to go back to those dark ages once again? Now we have presented a new program for the country. We have to leave the old system and move forward with the new system.
We should also progress with the progress of countries like India and Bangladesh. We must return to a competitive economy. New technologies like artificial intelligence should be used there. We will think afresh and build a new country,” the President said.
Industries and Health Minister Ramesh Patirana,
I take this opportunity to appreciate the contribution of the All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association in maintaining the quality of the Sri Lankan health sector. I especially recall their unconditional support for controlling the cost of medicines in this country and keeping the country free from drug shortages.
The health of the people of this country depends on all aspects of the health sector. Compared to the rest of the world, our country has the best healthcare. For the well-being of patients in this country, the Patient Safety Act will soon be introduced. Also, efforts are being made to strengthen rehabilitation and palliative care services. We have successfully overcome the challenge of progressing as a nation in the face of global competition.
In independent Sri Lanka, hospitals, doctors and nurses have grown in number and quality. Physical facilities have been greatly improved. The largest allocation of funds in history has been allocated in the budget to protect free healthcare. Accordingly, we would like to convey that we are committed to providing the best patient care services with your support,” said Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana.
Rajitha Senaratne, Member of Parliament,
The All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association is an association that has worked to bring profit to the country even though they have reached poverty. That is what President Ranil Wickramasinghe is doing today. We also did not think that the country could recover from the economic crisis in such a short period of time. If he is able to see with his eyes and hear with his ears, he must accept that he has brought our country to this state.
The world accepts and appreciates that Sri Lanka is a country that has returned to normality very quickly among the countries that have suffered from corruption. The world states that Sri Lanka’s recovery from the economic crisis is an economic miracle. They say we have never seen a country recover from a collapsed economy so quickly. The International Monetary Fund said Sri Lanka’s Wickramasinghe should be looked at while building Ethiopia’s economy. But our countrymen blame him. We all need to understand the true state of the country,” said Rajitha Senaratne, Member of Parliament.
Deshamanya Sandika Ganganda, President of All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association
I need not tell you about the situation in this country two years ago. Then we opened dispensaries and strove to protect the health of the people of the country. Back then, people were waiting in long queues of more than a kilometer in front of dispensaries. But there was no money to buy medicine. There was a time when there was no medicine to survive. It was during such a period that President Ranil Wickramasinghe took charge of this country.
If there were three members in the family they were in three rows. There was no fuel to dispense the medicines. To end such an era, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had fortunately secured a parliamentary seat, was sworn in as President. Otherwise we would have had to live in an era of murders even for a pot. At a time when the country is standing tall again, I would like to express my gratitude to you for supporting our industry in this way today.”
Adviser to All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association, Hon. Kuppiyavathai Bothananda Thera, Member of Parliament Ashoka Abeysinghe, officials of the Ministry of Health, representatives of the Drug Importers Association, members of the All Sri Lanka Private Pharmacy Owners Association and many others participated in the event.
