Retirement age of doctors upped to 61

By Sandun A Jayasekera

Cabinet nod has been given to increase the retirement age of doctors in the public sector to 61 from the current 60 years considering the shortage of doctors and the prevailing situation in the country, cabinet spokesman and Minister Ramesh Pathirana said. 

Making a request while approving the cabinet paper submitted by Health Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has requested to increase the retirement age of the technical staff of state establishments also as there was a severe shortage of technicians in the public sector.   

The proposal to appoint a committee to look into the matter and submit recommendations was approved.   
Minister Pathirana said another proposal made by Prime Minister Rajapaksa to improve wards especially for patients with fever and to build new wards for them at state hospitals island wide to face eventual rise of COVID 19 was also given the green light by the cabinet.  

The wards for fever patients to be newly built or improved at all state hospitals will have isolation facilities and equipped with drugs, medical equipment and surgical dresses, masks and other medical paraphernalia needed to accommodate and treat COVID 19 patients.