Sri Lanka’s large public provision of healthcare will seek to act as a buyer to help create a domestic manufacturing base for the provision of medical supplies. Healthcare Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the government targets to produce domestically up to 80% of the requirement by the health sector of the country. Rambukwella cited the BOI as a major facilitator of involvement by the private sector in the provision of medical supplies.
Rambukwella was speaking on November 17 at the grand opening of the Flexicare manufacturing facility in Bandaragama. Flexicare is a British based multinational involved in the manufacture of medical devices.
Rambukwella hailed the involvement of Flexicare in establishing the first medical device manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka.
He said the company was backed with over 30 years of experience in design and manufacturing management of the sector along with enjoying the confidence of international buyers. Rambukwella cited that the plant was ISO certified, classified as a Great Place to Work, and was able to obtain international global quality standards allowing the export of Sri Lankan manufactured items to international markets.
The minister noted that this growth model was part of the manifesto promises laid out by the government. He noted that the government sector would look to procure more domestically manufactured products and that funds had been allocated by the treasury towards that end in the coming budget.
Rambukwella highlighted the need for exceptional perceptions of quality when it came to medical devices and noted that there was no room for compromises. Rambukwella noted that the venture was helping solve many problems in the country from reducing unemployment, establishing manufacturing know-how, to saving foreign exchange, and acting as an anchor investor. Rambukwella hailed the private sector growth model.
Target of 80% of domestic requirement
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Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa highlighted that there were to be many additional foreign investment projects in the country that would bring about local manufacturing, transfer of know-how, and create employment locally. Rajapaksa hailed Flexicare as helping bring globally recognized manufacturing practices to the Sri Lankan market.
Rajapaksa said to the Flexicare Chairman, “When you see your products go to the world and look after people that are not well, we see that and are proud that these products are made in Sri Lanka.”
Rajapaksa, referring to the Health Minister’s earlier speech, noted that it would be better if about 90% (target of 80%) of the domestic medical supply requirement was manufactured locally.
Rajapaksa hinted that on November 25 there was going to be a major announcement about the creation of over 2,000 high skilled jobs by way of foreign investment in the country.
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