Saline manufacturing plant in Lanka

Irangika Range

COLOMBO: The Government has decided to establish a plant to manufacture saline in Sri Lanka, Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa told the weekly-press briefing yesterday.

He said the health sector totally depends on imported saline, spending a large sum annually. Government hospitals spent Rs. 487 million upto May 2007 and Rs. 319 million in 2006 to fulfil the local saline demand.

The State Pharmaceutical Corporation spent Rs. 18.3 million upto May 2007 and Rs. 34.8 million in 2006 to import saline. The Minister said Cabinet approval was granted to frame the criteria for selecting a suitable company to set up a saline plant here. He said it is expected to supply saline under the five-year agreement by calling for a bid.