Ravi Kumudesh, Chair of the Joint Council of Supplementary Medical Professionals, has stated that former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was more competent in health administration than the current minister, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa.
Speaking on an online talk show yesterday (2), Kumudesh emphasised that merely being a medical professional is not sufficient for someone holding the position of Health Minister. He argued that the role also demands the ability to respond effectively to critical challenges within the healthcare system.
“Although Nalinda Jayatissa is a doctor, he has yet to demonstrate his competence in the role,” Kumudesh said, contrasting this with the performance of Rambukwella, who he described as more capable during his tenure.
He said,
“The difference between Minister Nalinda and Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is significant. Keheliya showed more competence in managing health affairs. We must understand that administering the health sector requires skill, not just medical knowledge. Keheliya was a capable minister. Nalinda’s policies are unclear, and so is his administrative ability. The way the ministry is currently being run seems more like the work of an additional secretary than a minister. Even though Nalinda is a doctor, it’s unclear how much actual experience he has within the medical field.”
Referring to Dr Jayatissa’s public remarks on public health degrees, Kumudesh questioned his academic and professional grounding:
“When Nalinda talks about public health degrees, it becomes obvious—if he’s a doctor, he should clearly understand how his merit ranking was determined, where he sat his exams. If someone was appointed minister based solely on general knowledge questions, what does that mean for our health system? Nalinda doesn’t seem to have that sense of responsibility or emotional connection to free education, even though he came through that system. The real question is not just whether he’s better or worse than Keheliya, but whether the process itself is functional.”
Commenting on the immunoglobulin drug controversy, Kumudesh noted that under Keheliya Rambukwella’s tenure, the NMRA had rejected the drug based on British Pharmacopoeia (BP) standards, stating it was substandard. However, he claims the current administration has changed its stance.
“During Keheliya’s time, the immunoglobulin drug was tested under BP standards and rejected as substandard by the NMRA. Now, the same company is being defended on the grounds that India’s drug regulatory authority has approved it. The Sri Lankan government is now accepting the drug based on Indian regulatory approval.”
