Sri Lanka, Aug. 21 -- A Daily Mirror report on the shortage of the cancer drug Filgrastim, published on August 18 under the headline "Drug shortage puts cancer patients' lives at stake," came under scrutiny in Parliament yesterday, with MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam questioning Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa over the issue.

Responding to Rasamanickam's question, Jayatissa acknowledged that the country was facing a temporary shortage of Filgrastim injections but assured Parliament that the situation was expected to be resolved within about a week.

The Minister said the shortage arose after a consignment of 160,000 vials supplied on July 28, 2026, had to be rejected for failing to meet the specifications of the National Medicines Reg...