Antigen tests only for those who need it the most, until stocks arrive

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan health authorities have decided to only carry out Antigen Tests on patients who need them the most, as a shortage of Antigen Test kits is being reported from across Sri Lanka.

Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath told News 1st that Antigen Test kit imports have not come to a standstill, but suppliers are having a limited stock.

He said Sri Lanka usually received around a million Antigen Test kits in a single shipment, but that figure had dropped to around 50,000 to 100,000 per shipment.

A consignment of around 400,000 Antigen kits will be arriving in the country within the next week, Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana told Parliament on Tuesday (8).