Around 20-25 Essential Cancer Vaccines are out of stock in National Cancer Hospital at Maharagama(Colombo Suburbs) according to the hospital sources.Carboplatin,Pachlitaxel,Vincristin(VCR),Doxorubacin,Oxaloplatin and Cisplatin are among the out of stock vaccines according to the sources.
Due to the shortage of these vaccines thousands of Cancer Patients faces severe difficulities as a large sum of mony need to buy these vaccines from the Private Sector.As a result there is a threat to developing the illness of the Cancer Patients One Oncologist at the Cancer Hospital stressed.
In Private Sector One vial of these out of stock vaccines is costs around Rs.10,000 and above according to him.
Meanwhile according to the Ministry Of Health the main reason behind the Cancer Vaccine shortage is the delay of supplying these vaccines by the supplier.The supplier who was awarded the tender to supply these vaccines last year has not supplied them since March 2010 Ministry has confirmed