18 August 2023 07:25 pm
The Health Ministry dismissed the reports suggesting that they are considering bringing in specialist doctors from overseas to address the current acute shortage of medical specialists.
DDG (Medical Services) Dr. G. Wijesuriya told the media that such discussions have not taken place as it is not a feasible solution.
He also elaborated on several key steps taken to address the dearth of medical specialists.
“Firstly, the retirement age for specialists has been extended from 60 to 63, and retired specialists are now allowed to work on a contract basis at hospitals until a replacement specialist is appointed.,” he elucidated.
“In addition, the Ministry has decided to prioritize the training of more doctors to become specialists. However, this process is expected to take at least five years, meaning that the shortage of medical specialists will persist till then, Dr. Wijesuriya added.