Provincial hospitals face closure

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday (12) claimed that nearly 500 doctors had migrated from January to August 2022 due to the continuing economic-social-political crisis.

GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge, warned the trend would continue unless the government took tangible measures to arrest the situation.

The top GMOA spokesperson said the problem could not be tackled with the help of a recently-introduced scheme for public servants to obtain no pay leave to go abroad without losing their seniority.

Dr. Aluthge asserted that a recent decision to retire all public servants at the age of 60 would worsen the situation further. In case the government went ahead with the move at the end of this year, the public health system would lose about 800 doctors including about 300 specialists, the GMOA official said.

Pointing out that services at government hospitals at Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Tissamaharama were on the verge of collapse, Dr. Aluthge said that the continuing economic-social-political turmoil and ill-advised decision to retire all public servants at the age of 60 could cripple hospitals in the provinces.

The GMOA warned provincial hospitals faced closure and swift action was needed to address issues at hand. Dr. Aluthge called for urgent implementation of a special programme to encourage doctors to serve the country or prepare to face the consequences (SF)