Investigations are underway into a specific batch of the anaesthesia-related drug Ondansetron following reports of two deaths that raised safety concerns, Deputy Minister of Health Hansaka Wijemuni said.

Speaking to the media, Wijemuni noted that Ondansetron is routinely administered to prevent side effects associated with anaesthesia and has been widely used without incident for months.

He said millions of doses of the drug have been imported and administered since April, with no adverse reactions reported until November. Last month, five patients at the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital reported minor side effects, which were reviewed by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).

Following the review, the NMRA permitted the continued use of the drug while advising heightened vigilance and further testing.

However, concerns intensified after the death of a patient on November 12. By then, a doctor at the Kandy National Hospital had conducted laboratory tests on the drug and released related findings. Based on this information, the NMRA instructed hospitals nationwide to immediately suspend the use of the specific batch currently under investigation.