File photograph: Healthcare workers in Mankulam protesting last year
Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis has hit the health sector hard, forcing the country to delay non-urgent surgeries.
The Daily News reports that Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health has instructed hospitals to postpone non-essential surgeries due to the shortages in the health sector.
Sri Lanka which imports 80% of its drugs has been struggling to secure its supply since the collapse of its economy. The island defaulted on its debt payments last year and is currently seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Earlier this month, the IMF said that Sri Lanka's $2.9 billion bailout package would be approved once the island had obtained assurances from bilateral creditors.