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| Thursday, 28 October 2004 |
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by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi The Health Ministry has decided to increase the cash bond against doctors leaving for foreign training to Rs. five million. The move is to arrest the current trend of a growing number of doctors sent for overseas training at Government expense not returning even after the training is over. Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told the Daily News that there is a necessity to increase the bond as there are a number of medical officers who have not returned after Ministry sponsored postgraduate training abroad. According to reports, there are nearly 70 such Government medical officers who have not returned home after training in health institutions in England and Australia. "A Cabinet paper with regard to this matter has already been prepared and submitted for approval," the Ministry's Deputy Director General (Medical Services) Dr. Terrence de Silva said. However, the Health Ministry's measure has drawn protest from the Government Medical Officer (GMOA) which claimed that increasing the bond would greatly affect the doctors seeking higher training aborad. But, Dr. Terrance de Silva claimed that the Ministry's decision was taken after the GMOA expressed their willingness at a meeting held at the Ministry premises recently. "The GMOA representatives expressed their willingness to this measure at a meeting held at the Ministry and following the discussion, the Minister instructed me to prepare the Cabinet paper," he added. GMOA General Secretary Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya claimed that the GMOA never agreed to such a proposal." It was true that the matter was raised outside the agenda at a meeting, but we did not make any official comment on this. In fact, we are against such a move," he added. At present, the bond for a doctor who goes aborad for a job and a training is around Rs. 700,000 while for a doctor who goes on a scholarship it is around Rs. 2.6 million. According to the Establishment Code, two guarantors have to sign for the bond and the annual income of both guarantors should be around one fourth of the bond money. Dr. Silva also admitted that if the bond was increased, it would be difficult for doctors to find guarantors as each guarantor should have an annual income of around Rs. 625,000. "We were aware of this situation, but, we decided to take this step as the GMOA agreed to this proposal." added Dr. Silva. Dr. Padeniya said that the existing bond applies to all Government servants. "How is the Ministry going to increase the bond only for doctors?" |
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