COLOMBO - As Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis in decades took root, prompting medical shortages and halting surgeries, Ms Kavindya Thennakoon knew she had to do something. Before boarding a flight from San Francisco to Colombo, the Stanford graduate and co-founder of a digital education app posted on social media and asked those running low on supplies to get in touch.
For weeks, Sri Lanka's once-lauded public health system, free to its 22 million people, has come to a near standstill. As the country's economic meltdown drags on, surgeries are being postponed and hours-long power cuts have forced doctors to operate by torchlight. To ease shortages, Sri Lanka's diaspora is now flying in supplies to patients and doctors, though Ms Theenakoon said these gestures were still little more than a"band aid".
Currently about 140 types of medicine are widely out of stock. That figure may rise to 250 in the coming days, according to Dr Ravi Kumudesh, president of the Academy of Health Professionals, a local union."I have never seen this kind of situation in Sri Lanka," he said. "We don't have enough foreign currency to actually clear these orders," Periyapperuma said."If you go to a pharmacy and try to buy something simple, like paracetamol, it's a bit difficult. Very basic medical supplies are missing because most of these are not produced here.
In the short term, Sri Lanka could get some relief. President Rajapaksa announced last week that the World Bank will provide US$600 million in financial assistance, in part so the country can buy more drugs. The government has also recently signed a US$1 billion credit line with India, which pledged to send medical goods to the island soon.