Sri Lanka to terminate specialists for migrating?

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

Health Secretary Janaka Sri Chandraguptha said several sectors severely affected by the doctors' shortage have been identified, thus resulting in such a decision.

Sri Lanka's Health Secretary, Janaka Sri Chandraguptha said that if a doctor, from a sector with limited personnel, decides to travel overseas without approval, necessary measures will be taken to terminate the services of the doctor in question.

"A circular was not issued, and we operate as per the Public Administration circulars. If there is a sector with limited personnel, the subcommittee on specialist doctors will decide on approving leave," he said.

The Health Secretary said that several steps have been taken to manage the situation at hospitals that are facing a crisis situation due to the migration of specialist doctors. 

"Hospital management is vested in an acting capacity. Personnel will be allocated based on the shortage of personnel. We are in discussions on how to deploy trained personnel to those areas. There are around 600 specialist doctors who have completed their training, and they will be assigned to areas with vacancies," he elaborated.

The Government Medical Officers' Association said that the conduct of the Ministry of Health in the matter of migration, is immoral. 

"The Government Medical Officers' Association will oppose any action that is taken within the framework on doctors who act in violation of the law, in terms of imposing restrictions on traveling overseas. However, there are attempts being made by those in the Health Ministry to execute restrictions that are illegal, and immoral," said Dr. Haritha Aluthge, the Editor of the Government Medical Officers' Association.

According to the 2022 Annual Report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, compared to 2021, migration of Sri Lankans saw a spike of 154.4%.

2,957 professionals with the highest educational qualifications migrated for work overseas in 2020.

In 2022, that figure spiked to 14,307. 

In 2020, a total of 1,496 mid-level qualified professionals migrated, and in 2022, that figure spiked to 8,130.

On Tuesday (15), Minister & Cabinet Spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena to a media briefing that certain events that transpired with the Aragayala had attributed to the brain drain in Sri Lanka.