No leave for specialist doctors to go overseas -Health Ministry

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Health has reached a decision to refrain from approving leave for doctors in fields with a limited number of specialists, including anaesthesiologists, to go overseas.

Health Secretary Janaka Sri Chandraguptha said several sectors severely affected by the doctors shortage have been identified.

He added that specialist doctors will be dismissed from service and necessary further action will be taken against them, if they fail to inform the Health Ministry when going overseas.

The number of doctors specializing in certain fields in Sri Lanka is very limited, and the health sector faced several crises as a result of specialist doctors going overseas in recent days.

The Health Secretary said over 600 doctors have gone overseas for specialist training, and 300 of them are due to return this year.

Chandraguptha said the current shortage of experts in some fields will be resolved to some extent after their arrival.

Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers' Association recently revealed that 274 specialist doctors have left the country during the one-year period that ended on the 31st of May.

The GMOA said 842 graded medical officers have also left the country during this period.