Minister of Health Nalinda Jayatissa has issued a legal notice seeking Rs. 1 billion in damages from YouTube content creator Dharmasri Kariyawasam, alleging that false and misleading content was circulated linking the Minister to the importation of a controversial medicine and causing public unrest.
The notice, sent through the Minister’s legal representatives, states that investigations are currently underway into ten medicines, including Ondansetron Injection, manufactured by India-based Maan Pharmaceutical Limited.
Ondansetron Injection was recently suspended by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), along with nine other injectable drugs, following reports of adverse reactions.
However, despite the ongoing investigations, Kariyawasam is accused of airing a widely viewed programme on his YouTube channel titled “The hidden story of the Indian drug that claimed lives, Mayor Balthasar’s relative, and Minister Nalinda’s cover-up,” which the legal notice claims contains false and defamatory allegations involving the Health Minister.
