JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — A private hospital in Jaffna has been fined 300,000 Sri Lankan rupees after pleading guilty to charges of possessing expired medicines and surgical supplies, while a private medical clinic was fined 100,000 rupees for charging patients above the government-approved maximum fee for a routine blood test, according to Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority.
The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court imposed the penalties on Aug. 4 after both institutions admitted the offences. In a further order, the court directed that details of the convictions be published in newspapers under Section 60(6) of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, a measure intended to inform the public of consumer protection violations.
The larger fine was imposed on Northern Central Hospitals (Pvt) Ltd, located in Thirunelvely, Jaffna, following an inspection by Consumer Affairs Authority officers on July 29.
According to the authority, inspectors found expired medical products in several areas of the hospital, including expired ophthalmic medication used during eye surgery that had been displayed in a refrigerator, expired Ether Liquid and Hydrogen Peroxide stored in the medicine preparation area, and expired sterile surgical equipment kept on the premises.
Medical experts warn that expired medicines and surgical supplies can pose serious risks if used clinically. Ophthalmic drugs used during eye surgery may lose their effectiveness, potentially compromising procedures, while expired sterile surgical equipment can no longer be assumed to be free of contamination, increasing the risk of infection. Chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide may also deteriorate over time, reducing their intended medical effectiveness. For those reasons, international medical standards require hospitals to immediately remove expired medicines and sterile supplies from patient care and dispose of them safely.
The hospital pleaded guilty to three charges and was fined 100,000 rupees on each count, bringing the total penalty to 300,000 rupees.
In a separate case, New Sun Rise Medi Clinic, on Navalar Road in Jaffna, admitted violating government price controls by charging 550 rupees for a Full Blood Count (FBC) test despite the legally prescribed maximum fee of 400 rupees.
The clinic pleaded guilty and was fined 100,000 rupees.
The Consumer Affairs Authority said the overcharging breached Direction No. 67, issued under the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, which sets maximum charges for several commonly performed diagnostic tests.
The authority urged members of the public to report private hospitals, medical clinics and laboratories that charge above the approved maximum fees or possess expired medicines or medical equipment by calling its 1977 hotline during office hours.
The latest convictions come less than a month after the Jaffna Magistrate's Court imposed a 3 million rupee fine on Venus Speciality Hospital (Pvt) Ltd for charging above the government-approved maximum fee for a Full Blood Count test, the largest penalty announced so far under the Consumer Affairs Authority's nationwide enforcement campaign. Yarl Mother Care Hospital was also fined 100,000 rupees in a separate case on July 21. With the latest rulings against Northern Central Hospitals (Pvt) Ltd and New Sun Rise Medi Clinic, four healthcare institutions in Jaffna have now been fined under the authority's nationwide enforcement drive targeting overcharging, expired medicines and other consumer protection violations.
The authority has launched inspections and prosecutions against private hospitals, medical laboratories, and pharmacies across Sri Lanka over allegations ranging from overcharging for diagnostic tests to the possession of expired medicines, chemicals, and medical equipment. Officials say inspections and legal action against offending institutions will continue.
