(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has canceled the tender that had been offered to a private company to import a cancer drug named ‘Nimotuzumab Injection 50mg’, Media Secretary to the Health Minister Nipun Ekanayake said.
Ekanayake said Minister Dr. Senaratne had stated that the reasons led him to cancel the tender were receiving many complaints against the company and an ongoing police investigation.
The tender has been cancelled until all investigations are complete.
Minister Dr. Senaratne had pointed out that the complaints were in connection with changing the name of the company and re-registering as a new company under a new address, after various misconducts in the past under a different name.
The company was about to import 600 vials of the cancer drug from India.
One vial cost Rs. 51,500, Ekanayake said. Minister Dr. Senaratne ordered Health Ministry Secretary Anura Jayawickrama to cancel the tender, Ekanayake added.