Colombo, Oct. 6 -- Certain laws and regulations have become an obstacle in resolving the current medicine shortage, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said today.

He said this while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Vipassi Buddhist Center at the National Hospital, Colombo.

The Health Minister said that although some laws and regulations date back to the British colonial era and added that they cannot be amended easily as most laws and regulations are interconnected.

"Some may question whether these laws cannot be chaged when the government has a two-thirds majority and executive powers. It must be understood that many of these laws and regulations are not recent, but date back to the British era," he said.

He said it is diff...