Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-06-19

Establishment of a Cyclotron Plant in Sri Lanka to operate PET CT Scanners in Government Hospitals

- Tests are carried out by the PET CT Scanners to reveal the functioning of the tissues and organs of the Human body and for such tests, a radioactive drug known as FDG 18 is used. A Cyclotron Plant is required to manufacture this radioactive drug. The service of a PET CT Scanner is essential for the purpose of observing the cancer related growth, to assess the response and to provide accurate treatment of cancer patients. As of now, only one such PET CT Scanner is available in a Private Hospital in Sri Lanka and about Rs.150,000/- is charged to obtain an examination report and an exorbitant sum has to be paid for the radioactive drug FDG 18 as well, used for the purpose. A PET CT Scanner has been commissioned at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka and another such scanner will also be commissioned at the Apeksha Cancer Hospital, Maharagama, in future. The radioactive drug FDG 18 will be needed for those scanners as well in the future. If the PET CT Scanners are to be used successfully and effectively in the country, it is absolutely essential to have a Cyclotron Plant in Sri Lanka. As a remedial measure, M/s Access International (Pvt.) Ltd. has submitted a proposal to commission a Cyclotron Plant in Sri Lanka, subject to entering into a purchase agreement within a specific time period. Taking into consideration the importance of the proposal, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to appoint a Cabinet Appointed Negotiation Committee to evaluate the said project proposal and conduct negotiations in respect of same, was approved by the Cabinet.