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Next 48 hours crucial for hospital sector
Colombo, March 21 (Daily Mirror) - The next 48 hours have been identified as critical by health workers, including doctors, who warn that Sri Lanka’s hospital system could face severe disruption or even collapse within the coming week if urgent solutions are not implemented to address fuel and transportation issues.
Medical professionals emphasized that uninterrupted attendance at hospitals is essential to maintain continuous healthcare services. However, the ongoing fuel crisis has created serious challenges for health staff attempting to report for duty.
Doctors noted that they are not provided with official transport or fuel allowances, unlike many other public sector employees, and are forced to arrange their own transportation at significant personal cost for regular duties, standby shifts, and emergency calls.
They also highlighted that the current QR-based fuel rationing system is insufficient, with weekly allocations inadequate even for commuting. Additionally, valuable time meant for patient care is being lost in fuel queues.
Health workers further criticized authorities for failing to take meaningful action despite being informed of these issues nearly a week ago, pointing out that health services are classified as essential and require uninterrupted support.
The fuel and transport crisis has already begun affecting hospital operations, with some doctors, specialists, and staff unable to report for duty.
They urged the government to urgently introduce a practical solution to ensure continuous access to fuel and transportation, warning that failure to act within the next 48 hours could result in limited or halted hospital services from Monday.
The Executive Council of the Government Medical Officers' Association stated it is closely monitoring the situation and will announce further decisions regarding the continuation of health services.
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