[Special Investigative Report]
COLOMBO – In a move that has sent shockwaves through Sri Lanka’s medical and political landscapes, Dr. Rukshan Bellana, the Deputy Director of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL), has been placed under immediate suspension. This disciplinary action comes months after Dr. Bellana blew the whistle on a massive financial fraud involving laboratory reagents, allegedly totaling over Rs. 900 million.
The Scandal: Billions Lost in “Expired” Reagents
According to an Audit Query (No: THO/B/NHSL/AB/AQ/2025/01) issued by the National Audit Office in June 2025, systemic irregularities were uncovered in the procurement of reagents for seven laboratories at the NHSL between 2022 and 2024. The audit reveals that reagents worth over Rs. 2.5 billion were purchased in blatant violation of financial regulations.
Key Audit Findings:
- Dumping Ground for Expired Goods: Regulations require reagents to have at least 85% of their shelf life remaining upon delivery. However, the audit found instances where reagents were supplied with less than six months of shelf life. In one shocking case (Invoice No. 330114055), reagents worth nearly Rs. 1 million were supplied on Feb 15, 2024, only to expire a month later on March 22.
- Overpayments and Fraud: The audit flagged overpayments to private suppliers such as Surgicare (Pvt) Ltd and Hemas Surgicals & Diagnostics, where payments were made for expired stocks or quantities exceeding what was actually delivered.
- Negligence and Infestation: Millions of rupees worth of reagents were reportedly stored in corridors or in facilities where rats had destroyed storage doors, leading to massive wastage of public funds.
“Retaliation for Truth” – Dr. Bellana’s Allegations
Dr. Bellana claims his suspension is a direct act of retaliation by the Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe. In a formal letter to the Public Service Commission dated December 8, 2025, Dr. Bellana asserted that a series of six disciplinary inquiries were launched against him shortly after he filed a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
Dr. Bellana alleges that the corruption dates back a decade to when Dr. Jasinghe served as the Director of the National Hospital. He contends that his suspension is a desperate attempt to silence him and protect a long-standing “medical mafia” involved in pharmaceutical and reagent procurement.
A Blow to “System Change”
The suspension of a high-ranking official for exposing corruption raises serious questions about the current administration’s commitment to “catching thieves” and “eradicating corruption”—the very slogans that brought the government to power.
Instead of investigating the multi-billion rupee fraud exposed by the National Audit Office, the administration appears to be targeting the whistleblower. This move has drawn widespread criticism from the public, who view it as a betrayal of the promised “System Change.”
Urgent Call for Investigation
The public and medical professionals are now calling for:
- An immediate and independent investigation by the Bribery Commission into the audit findings.
- Transparency regarding why officials who have exceeded their retirement age continue to hold top administrative positions, allegedly bypassing circulars.
- The immediate cessation of the victimization of whistleblowers within the state sector.
The health of a nation depends not just on its doctors, but on the integrity of its administration. If those who expose the rot are removed, the “mafia” will continue to thrive at the expense of the taxpayers and the lives of innocent patients.