Health Minister appeals to 10,000 Lankan docs abroad

October 10, 2011, 9:41 pm

By Dilanthi Jayamanne

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has invited over ten thousand Sri Lankan doctors, working abroad, to return to Sri Lanka. Quoting the Health Minister, who had made the appeal when addressing a ceremony held to felicitate doctors retiring from service, the Health Ministry spokesman said yesterday that there were more than 2,500 Sri Lankan doctors serving in the United Kingdom, another 3,000 in Australia and approximately 1,500 in the United States. Doctors who had left the country for post graduate studies or due to the conflict situation that prevailed at the time had stayed back in those countries.

He said there were approximately 16,000 doctors in Sri Lanka at present but that number was inadequate to meet the demand. The Government Medical Officers’ Association too had repeatedly complained of the existing dearth of medical officers in the country.

The shortage affected the smooth running of hospital services including surgeries. There was also a grave dearth of doctors to serve in surgical wards. The requirement of doctors to man surgical wards has at times led to some operations being delayed. There were 47 health institutions in various parts of the country which were closed due to the dearth of medical officers to serve in them, the spokesman said.

The Minister had advised parents and relations of doctors who had migrated to use their influence to bring them back, he added.