Mal-distribution of doctors affects health sector - Minister

Lakmini Rodrigo

COLOMBO: The objections raised at every turn by the Trade Unions in the health sector and the Medical Professionals whenever the Ministry wants to bring about legislations necessary to deal with current policies and what ever the vibrant policies they bring out as solution to the problem fails due to their opposition and that is the root cause, lamented Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Speaking at the 119th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Sri Lanka Medical Association held at the Continental Hotel, Minister de Silva said the primary problem of the health sector in Sri Lanka is the mal- distribution of doctors. He said 50 per cent of problems in the health sector were secondaries arising from that primary problem of mal-distribution of doctors.

The Minister observed that rural hospitals deprived of facilities mainly due to lack of sufficient doctors, there was an excess of doctors in hospitals in the Western Province. We have been talking about this problem for long with no solution.

Calling on the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) and the Sri Lanka Medical Association, Minister de Silva said they should have the necessary strength and courage to sought out this problem.

According to the Minister over 1,000 doctors are produced in the country each year, with which the health sector could be maintained efficiently." But to do this, we have to distribute doctors without disparity and the cooperation of doctors are essential to solve the issue", Minister de Silva said.

The Minister said most doctors tend to prefer the Western Province where all the facilities are accumulated. The Ministry has appointed over 900 doctors within the last three months, the Minister said. Minister De. Silva said many doctors who leave the country for post graduate training do not return, thereby leaving the country at a severe shortage of qualified doctors.

He requested the Post Graduate Institute for Medicine (PGIM) to look into the matter and try to come up with a system where foreign training is not essential to be qualified as a consultant.