Minister tells doctors:

Give priority to humanity over money

Nadira Gunatilleke

There is nothing wrong in doing private practice. But doctors should give priority to humanity over money. Some doctors charge fees in the range between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 for consultation which is not acceptable, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.

The Minister was addressing a ceremony held at the BMICH, Colombo yesterday to handover intern appointments to 844 doctors. Minister Sirisena said that when doing private practice, some doctors charge Rs 2,500 from the first 25 patients and charge Rs 5,000 from the patients who obtain numbers from 25 to 50. The doctor issues numbers from 50 to 75 charging Rs 7,500. But any person can consult this doctor at any time by paying Rs10,000. This is not justifiable.

“When I was Agriculture Minister, I fell sick and received treatment from a doctor. Since I did not recover quickly I went to see another doctor on the request of a friend of mine. I met the doctor who was known to me, had a conversation with him and came out. When I asked my friend how much he charged, he said that the doctor charged Rs 8,000. I was shocked not because I had to pay that amount. I was shocked thinking about the plight of the innocent poor patients who pay such a high fee,” the Minister said.

Minister Sirisena said that some people think everything depends on money but it is not so. Money cannot buy everything and cannot do everything. What is important is humanity and kindness towards our fellow humans. There are two types of doctors according to the public. They call one type ‘Buddha’ or ‘Gods’. They are the doctors who use kind words and treat patients as human beings. They call the other type ‘Devils’. It is up to the new doctors to fall into one of these categories.

“It is the less educated innocent poor people who contribute towards the production of Sri Lanka and earn money for the country. It is they who create and maintain Ministers, doctors and scholars, etc. They are the people who save public funds which are used to educate university students.

“It is up to the doctors to build a healthy nation. Life without hazards and difficulties is useless. It is problems, difficulties and challenges which build a complete person. What I want is to bring Sri Lanka’s free health service to the top of Asia with the help of the doctors under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa,” Minister Sirisena added.