Sri Lankan health sector is now facing a fresh crisis with health professionals claiming that the country does not have genetic sequencing analyzers to identify the new strain of coronavirus which is rapidly spreading in the UK.

Sri Lanka has suspended all fights from the UK to prevent the spread of the virus in the country. Some medical experts have predicted that the new more infective Coronavirus strain from the United Kingdom may replace the I/A3i clade, which entered the countries from southeast Asia

Addressing a press conference, Medical Laboratory Technologists' Association President Ravi Kumudesh said that certain high-profile officials at the Ministry of Health were reluctant to purchase a genetic sequencing analyzer a few months ago, as they were under a false assumpton that COVID19 had been eradicated from the country.

"They blocked the purchase of this equipment at least three times citing various reasons. As a result our health system is now facing a precarious situation," he added.

"These investments should not be made only because of the outbreak of the pandemic. These are much-needed equipment to empower our health sector. These investments should be done to ensure the well-being of the future generation," Kumudesh explained.