As economic turmoil continues in Sri Lanka, doctors have warned their government that they are nearly out of life-saving medicines and the crisis threatens a worse death toll than occurred in the COVID-19 pandemic, reported local media.
On Sunday, the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) said that most hospitals on the island nation no longer have life-saving drugs and medical instruments.
“We are forced to make tough choices. We have to decide who gets treatment and who will not,” the professional body said in a public letter it wrote to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
“If supplies are not restored within days, casualties will be far worse than from the pandemic,” the letter said.
In March, several hospitals suspended routine surgery because of power outages and a dangerous shortage of anaesthetics. The SLMA now worries that it soon might not be possible to carry out emergency procedures.
When it comes to fuel, medical equipment, medicine and food, Sri Lanka is dependent mainly on imports.
The island's foreign currency reserves have virtually run dry, which means it cannot afford to pay for imports of essential items.
Earlier, speaking with Sputnik, an analyst said that the island nation is struggling to pay its $51Bln foreign debt, with the pandemic torpedoing vital revenue from tourism and remittances.
In a video appeal on Youtube, Dr Saman Kumara, a senior neonatologist, said: “This is a critical message for colleagues overseas. Many things are lacking from our hospital setup, and we paediatricians and neonatologists are especially worried about the shortage of ET Tubes to ventilate newborn babies. Stocks would very soon run out.”
"We have reached the stage where we have to reuse ET tubes," Dr Kumara added.
Over the weekend, thousands of protesters gathered on the sides of the road leading to the Presidential Secretariat. Some of the protestors also constructed makeshift tents next to President's estate.
Sri Lanka is at present facing its toughest economic challenge since gaining independence in 1948 from the British rule.
The country’s central bank governor and other officials are in Washington seeking funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to halt the economic chaos.
On Monday, talks between the ruling party and opposition parties to establish an all-party interim government to deal with the unprecedented economic crisis remained inconclusive. President Gotabaya invited the 11-party coalition allies comprising 42 independent lawmakers for a discussion on the country’s worst economic crisis.