External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday directed Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay to see how India can help Sri Lanka’s  Peradeniya Hospital which is facing an acute shortage of medicines on account of which it has been forced to halt scheduled surgeries. 

Jaishankar who is on a three-day visit to Sri Lanka was quick to react to the crisis after the information regarding the shortage of medicines was posted by the Sri Lankan Twitter handle Ayubovan.

The Indian external affairs minister promptly tweeted: "Disturbed to see this news. Am asking High Commissioner Baglay to contact and discuss how India can help."

"Scheduled surgeries at the Peradeniya Hospital were suspended due to a shortage of medicines. Only emergency surgeries are taking place," tweeted Ayubovan.

Jaishankar will also participate in the BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting on March 29 in Colombo.

Both Maldives and Sri Lanka are India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and occupy a special place in the Prime Minister's vision of 'SAGAR' and Neighbourhood First policy.

India's Neighbourhood First policy, accords primacy to nations in the periphery with a focus on encouraging trade, connectivity and people-to-people contact.

Also read:  Sri Lankan refugees flee to India as inflation, food and water shortage bite