A hearty compliment
Sri Lanka’s medical fraternity
received an overwhelming compliment from a visiting US Cardiac
surgeon who claimed that when it came to open heart surgery Sri
Lanka was on par with the best in the world.
The two time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Jeremy R.
Torstveit in am interview carried on our front page yesterday
particularly singled out the commitment and selfless dedication
by both local doctors and the Government authorities.
He said “children’s heart surgery has progressed beyond
anything I could have imagined since my first visit to Sri Lanka
in 1991”.
While acknowledging child heart surgery as a barometer in
gauging success in general cardiac surgery, he said the waiting
period of a patient to undergo an operation had come down from
more than a year sometime back to less than six months today.
This certainly is a ringing endorsement on the skill and
competence of Lankan doctors for which the country could be
justly proud of. It is also an example of how Lankan
professionals have progressed over the years and goes onto
underscore the point made by the President when he invited
professionals living overseas to help in the Government’s
development drive.
The claim by no less a personage than a famous American heart
surgeon that we have medicos who could stand shoulder to
shoulder with the best in the world is certainly a vote of
confidence in the country’s health sector as a whole.
This we hope would encourage more of the rich and mighty who
consider it fashionable to have their medical check ups done
abroad to have a change of heart, so to speak.
Coming from a Nobel price nominee no less this indeed could
have a reverse effect and it is hoped before long we would have
foreigners visiting our shores purely for medical attention at
the hands of local doctors. Such ‘medical tourism’ while
boosting the country’s image internationally could also promote
Sri Lanka as more than just a tourist destination.
The kudos received by our heart surgeons would also mean that
Sri Lanka has moved ahead with the latest developments in the
world in the medical sphere and for this the Government should
be commended for affording all the opportunities and facilities
to our doctors to hone their skills and enhance their
capacities.
In fact all successive Governments should be credited for
creating the necessary infrastructure to raise the standards of
healthcare in the country. It cannot be denied that our health
sector has gained recognition as of one the best in the Asian
region. All Governments have contributed over the years towards
attaining this status.
For the last 30 years or so, Governments have allocated
massive sums for health despite a mounting defence expenditure.
This in itself is a creditable achievement.
In fact we have a health sector that we could be proud of
given the drastic decline in infant mortality rate surpassing or
at least matching many developed countries. Other indices such
as life expectancy are also on par with those of the developed
world.
We have some state-of-the-art hospitals in the country and
our doctors have been provided with all facilities to improve
their skills. The State has also increased funding for overseas
training and scholarships for doctors which have given them the
much needed exposure to further their skills.
That the country’s health sector has leapfrogged to meet 21st
century challenges was amply proved by the recent appointment of
Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to head the WHO, an
office which is not lightly conferred. All Lankans should take
pride in these achievements and be supportive of our
professionals.
It is time that we start recognising the worth of our own
professionals instead of always paying pooja to everything and
everyone foreign. We frequently hear of Sri Lankans who have
gone places in foreign climes competing on par with the best in
the world in various fields of endeavour.
It is a pity that we have been unable to retain their
services for the benefit of the country. The Government should
make every endeavour to stem the brain drain and retain the
services of these professionals for the vast development
projects that have been earmarked.
Sri Lanka which earned a dubious reputation as being capable
of only exporting housemaids has given the lie to this thesis.
We have come a long way since those days and our professionals
have now come to the stage of giving their skills to the outside
world.
It is incumbent therefore on the Government to afford all
encouragement to enhance this pool of skilled resources that
could be marketed even in more advanced countries. |