Srilanka, June 1 -- The Ministry of Health and Mass Media yesterday unveiled plans to obtain direct assistance from foreign Governments to secure essential medicines and pharmaceutical supplies until the present issues within the medicine supply chain are resolved and disruptions are minimised.

The Health Ministry has presented a Cabinet Paper in this regard and the Cabinet has instructed the Health Ministry to set up a high-powered committee to facilitate the direct procurement of medicines from foreign Governments. This committee will oversee and implement future steps under this mechanism, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

The Ministry will submit an expanded proposal to the Cabinet again for final approval under this process, and w...