C R I S I S & the Row Between Doctors and the Government Further Deepens…

As we have reported before due to mass migration of medical professionals working with in government health care sector is creating one of Sri Lanka biggest healthcare crisis to date. And it continues to be getting worse after government is in the move of either blacklisting or completely banning medical professionals from leaving the country.

This mass exodus is not confined to doctors alone rather there are nurses, medical doctors as well as consultant doctors, individuals belonging to these ranks are leaving Sri Lanka in unprecedented numbers for the first time in history. Health ministry has opted to keep quiet about the crisis and as a solution what they have done was increased the working shifts of the existing carders to make up for non existing healthcare workers. And as a result burn out among health care workers were very evident. As many healthcare union put it they have been expected to carry out more duties for the same amount they are being paid.

But as of to date mid of August 2023, crisis have seems to reached a tipping point where health ministry has actually taken steps of blacklisting consultant medical doctors who had left the country without properly informing relevant authorities or hasn’t followed proper guidelines of procedures in regards to exiting from their ranks. This has been confirmed by director of health ministry tertiary treatments dr. Priyantha Athapaththu. According to him Consultants who had left Sri Lanka without attaining proper permission will be considered as Individuals who had resigned and ministry will consider legal proceedings against them.

Above statement had come under severe criticism by many if not all medical professionals unions and associations throughout Sri Lanka, “stating government have no legal authority or any ethical right to provision in imposing a such a regulation.

Member of all Ceylon medical officers Association Dr. Jayantha Bandara stated “Government cannot put up such regulations as blacklisting or illegalizing medical professionals from leaving the country ,it is literally beyond stupid with such measure it can be prevented and if government do implement these rules the remainder of medical professionals would also will leave the country all together“. according to our rough estimate their would be some where around 6000 to 7000 medical doctors alone might leave the country if the situation hasn’t change drastically with in coming near future.

Responding to the health ministry decision government medical officers Association Dr. Haritha Aluthgea pointed out on the country of Kuwait on a semi-government hospital for a consultant doctors vacancies being called in and the noted salary is amounting for 4 million rupees per month. And with in England for a consultant dermatologist daily salary is somewhere closer to 2000 steering pounds. That is more than a consultant doctor who work in Sri Lanka earns with in a month if they employ them selves both private practices and government pay combined together. “What the government should be doing is to create a conducive environment that would enable consultants to remain within Sri Lanka and not to unnecessarily control them in an intimidating manner that make them feel threatened by the government”.

Responding to the ministry decision Sri Lanka or Ceylon nurses Association Mr. M.S.H.P. Madiwaththa stated a large number of nurses already had left the country and many more are planning only leaving the country and the government cannot prevent an individual’s right to leave a country and a profession I choosing to employee themselves in another place of their preference. It is beyond being unethical.

According to Sri Lanka radiologist and radiology technicians association memeber Mr. Chanaka Dharmaweera there is already an acute shortage of qualified personnel’s due to so many hand left the country. Due to that shortage MRI and PET scanning professionals work has been severely hampered on many government hospitals. And on some selected hospitals it is in the brink of being closure. Government should be aware our field is operating on under 40% of required personnel’s capacity this is extremely worrying. The government attempt to prevent qualified radiologists from leaving the country is not going to be fruitful. Instead what they should be concentrating on enrolling new individuals to be trained as qualified radiologists so we can attain their services.

What has promoted this reactions from all these healthcare professional Unions is Sri Lankan health ministry and the government decision “If a consultant doctor wishes to go broad it has to be done under certain stringent guidelines such as

• They have to be very specific about there requirement for going abroad.(back checking )
• Absolutely specific about the duration of the leave.
• Before attaining the leave a substitute medical professional has to be appointed, which implies they will not be granted leave until that individual is appointed.

Despite the ever growing crisis of consultant doctors health ministry clarified and assured that there are about 600 consultant doctors presently training at abroad under the government funded programs and awaiting to return to the country once there training has ended.

Government has also taken the decision to remove the present chairperson of Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Corporation Mr. Sarath Liyanage and has appointed Mr. dr. Ajith Mendis as new chairperson of SPC. The appointment had been done by the health ministry decision. Mr. Mendis has previously held the position of director general of Health Services within Ministry of Health.