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Life-giving saline needs lifeline
By Nalaka Nonis and Mahangu Weerasinghe
The government had been forced to import life-saving saline from a new importer after its contracted supplier stopped the supply of saline demanding a price increase. The original supplier had demanded an increased price thus violating the rules as laid out in the performance bond with the government.

Much confusion ensued in government health circles over the weekend with various officials giving different accounts of the prevailing situation.

State Pharmaceuticals Corporation Chairman Ananda Wimalasena told The Sunday Times the Government's contracted saline supplier Otsuka Indonesia was suspending its supply and as such the authorities had decided to import saline, on a temporary basis from Braun -- the previous supplier of the product.

Mr. Wimalasena said at the moment the government health sector is only just managing to meet the saline requirement with purchases from other suppliers and that the SPC would be receiving supplies from Braun within the next few days.

"With the consent of the Health Ministry we have decided to meet the immediate requirement of saline by purchasing stocks from Braun", he said.

He charged that it would be a breach of tender rules to meet the unreasonable demand of Otsuka Indonesia, which has been contracted to supply saline for one year, and said it was the responsibility of the ministry tender board to either retain the supplier or blacklist it.

Mr. Wimalasena said the demand for a price increase came about two weeks ago and that at present a 500 milligram bottle of saline is supplied at .279 US dollars.

However the Health Ministry's medical supplies division director Dr. Hemantha Beneragama said the tender crisis between Otsuka Indonesia and the State Pharmaceutical Corporation had been sorted out and that new supplies should be arriving at the Colombo Port by July 19.

"The Ministry Secretary has held talks with the local agents for Otsuka, and they have agreed to provide the saline at the price agreed upon in the performance bond", he said.

Dr. Beneragama said that although the medical supplies division had requested 3.5 million bottles of saline from the State Pharmaceutical Corporation at the beginning of this year, the MSD had so far received only a fourth of the requirement.

"We closely monitor saline stocks", Dr. Beneragama said, "especially since the prevailing dengue epidemic has escalated the demand for saline".A spokesman for Aristons (Pvt) Ltd, the local distributor for Otsuka Indonesia said the price hike was in the form of a request made to the government.

"When the Ministry turned down the request, we agreed to supply the goods at the price previously agreed in the tender", the spokesman said. He said the price increment was only requested to cover previously unforeseen charges in freight handling.

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