300 doctors left the country since January: Keheliya

29 November 2022 04:23 pm - 29 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Whilst stating that around 300 doctors have left the country since January this year, the Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella today said there is a possibility of the Sri Lankan health sector collapsing as a result.

Responding to a question raised by the Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa in Parliament on an earlier date, the Minister said the Ministry had already informed the foreign mission offices in Colombo not to grant visas to doctors if they don’t have permission from the health ministry to go overseas.

“The permission given to doctors to work abroad is only for five years,” the Minister said.

“We have also informed the emigration officers in the airport to check whether the doctors who travel overseas have leave approval. Those medical officers who fly abroad without permission will be black-listed while their licenses issued by the Sri Lanka medical council will be cancelled. They will not be able to practice even overseas if their licences are cancelled,” he added.

“Lists of blacklisted doctors will be published from time to time,” he also said.

Meanwhile, the Minister said there are expired drugs in the outlets of State Pharmaceuticals Association outlets.

“These outlets have informed us that the suppliers have refused to clear stocks of drugs which have expired,” he said.

The Minister assured that a price formula will be introduced for essential medicines though it is a challenging task. (Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana)

Comments - 29

Iwazaru Tuesday, 29 November 2022 04:41 PM

The Sri Lanka health sector is already collapsed. It is the fault of the governments inefficiency. You and Ranil must go home.

Jagath Tuesday, 29 November 2022 04:47 PM

Doctors behave arrogantly and selfishly because their job is considered a closed profession where others can not enter. This is why all over the world there is always the shortage of doctors. If we can open up clinical medicine and bring in other professions and experts then the importance and need of doctors is greatly diminished. For example in Britain lot of work previously done by doctors have now been passed on to Nurses, in most British hospitals the endoscopy once done by specialist doctors is now performed by specially trained endoscopy nurses.

gamini Tuesday, 29 November 2022 04:49 PM

Health sector collapsing- health Minister watching- Miracle of Asia- because you guys always go overseas for treatment at tax payers money- or like MR fly down doctor from UK

tilak Tuesday, 29 November 2022 04:50 PM

This is aresult of the free education provided at the tax payers money- which JVP and Perotuagmi want to continue

Sadeepa Wednesday, 30 November 2022 10:01 AM

illogical arguman Tilak. How can someone blame free education because people who moved because of extremely difficult conditions. Has JVP and Peratugami caused this ?

don Tuesday, 29 November 2022 04:51 PM

in western countries which provide financial aid to university students, they ensure without paying the amount due if anyone leaves the country they will never be able to return to their home country. Even if they obatin citizenship of anither country and travel in a foreign passport

Preshi Rrm Tuesday, 29 November 2022 05:07 PM

Doctors do not need to run like thieves in the night. They apply for jobs and get selected and then go. This is how wonderful you have made SL to live in. The doctors don’t have to be in SL on the terms of rubbish politicians!

Amila Senerath Wednesday, 30 November 2022 02:59 PM

may I ask you to name a single country where SL qualified doctors can directly work without sitting for multiple exams/studying for years spending personal money?

Chris Tuesday, 29 November 2022 05:18 PM

Is this fellow surprised. Many more will be leaving next year. We give them a completely free medical education and let them go!!

Hmm Tuesday, 29 November 2022 07:29 PM

Not only doctors, no one wants to live here. Tell me 5 good reasons why Sri Lankans would not want to leave their beloved country.

Sunil Tuesday, 29 November 2022 07:53 PM

Not only doctors, but many more professionals will be leaving in droves unless the situation in the country will be satisfactory. It will never be as long as this wretched regime is in power.

ANNECUNT Tuesday, 29 November 2022 08:20 PM

We are waiting for you to leave for middle east and do a proper job and earn us dollars to sri-lanka

roni Tuesday, 29 November 2022 08:21 PM

Have you not visited a Dr recently, to check on your sleep walking. Are dumb to impose retirement age in this category, you parliamentarians are the people who should go even b4 60

nurse abroad Tuesday, 29 November 2022 08:38 PM

Sri Lankan doctors are arrogant in Sri Lanka. The moment they arrive in a western country their tail is tucked behind their bottoms. They lack mannerisms, communication skills and does not realise every one is the same in the medical profession in the western world. Their standard of English is poor. However they undergo the required mandatory training and settle down and had to work and pass required examinations. Basically they were not trained properly in their medical schools especially respect towards patients and good mannerism.They think they can just whisk a patient according to their will. Sorry not in western world.

Nihal S Tuesday, 29 November 2022 09:34 PM

I doubt if the foreign missions deny visa applications due to unjustifiable political interferences. Also the cancellation of the local licence may not have an impact on qualified doctors to practice overseas. They have to obtain the local qualifications any way - regardless of the local licences. Rambukwella do your homework.

Pantha Kumaran Tuesday, 29 November 2022 10:48 PM

I want all the politicians to understand one thing very clear. Today the politicians are making money and not the ordinary well educated people. We are blessed with highly educated people in our country. But they never given a chance. What is the difference between Johnston Fernando and Prasanna Ranatunge and educated people.

Prasath Tuesday, 29 November 2022 11:10 PM

Let any type of govt servants go, just let them go. Will save on there salaries and perks. There are enough doctors available if the existing doctors do there job properly but 99 % 0f the doctors concentrate only on private channelling

Jothipala Gankumbura Wednesday, 30 November 2022 01:44 AM

Uneducated Politicians invest stolen public funds overseas while educated professionals leave the country! Shameless politicians highlight such incidents!!

DW Wednesday, 30 November 2022 03:21 AM

Unlike other countries, Sri Lankan medical students get free education. They should be required to pay compensation to the Sri Lankan government if they choose to leave the country.

D. Gayaramya Wednesday, 30 November 2022 05:35 AM

There are some circulars preventing doctors staying in the country. For example, if a wife is going for post graduate training with children, husband is not allowed if he is in compulsory period. This make them to be in a very difficult situation even if they like to come and serve mother land. I request honorable minister to look into this.

Klaus Wednesday, 30 November 2022 05:46 AM

Ich habe selber die Arroganz einiger Ärzte im Asiri und Lanka hospital erlebt. Aber hier herrscht in allen Bereichen eine Arroganz. Das ist ein Zeichen von Dummheit. In der anderen und modernen Welt gehen Arzte für einige Zeit in die armen lander und behandeln Patienten.kostenlos. hier geht es nur um Geld. Es ist nicht wichtig wie groß dein Auto ist , wichtig ist was du im Kopf hast . Ich war selber in der Politik einige Zeit tätig,aber was ich hier erlebe ist das Gegenteil von Politik. Die Menschen Strömen in Scharen ins Ausland weil die Politiker das Leben unerträglich machen. Ich lese immer "Lanka Paradies" ein Paradies ist anders, das hier ist die Hölle für die meisten Menschen.. in der anderen und modernen Welt ist jeder Mensch gleich. Das ist eine Demokratie.

Malinda Perera Wednesday, 30 November 2022 06:53 AM

What government should do is send many professionals like doctors to other countries and earn USD from them like put an agreement send percentage of money to SL. Rather than sending domestic servents. Many professionals do investments back. That what india does. How many indian doctors and nurses work in other countries. No single brain to earn money

Gama Rala Wednesday, 30 November 2022 07:43 AM

It leaves the door open to poorly trained, poorly educated underclass of Russian-qualified doctors.

Dee Wednesday, 30 November 2022 08:48 AM

Stop free education! Allow private medical colleges to offer degree in SL. After that allow them to migrate anywhere. They have a right to migrate But certainly NO right to obtain free education wasting our tax money!

Disappointed Sri Lankan Wednesday, 30 November 2022 08:49 AM

more will leave with the new tax introduction which is un-bearable by us, Ministers are not wiling to reduce there expenditure, but we have to pay for their sins main reason is due to 6.9 Mil voters not thinking before they voted, they dug there own childs grave hope they are happy.

Kehelgedi Rambukwela Wednesday, 30 November 2022 10:49 AM

This is a very sad situation. Those who genuinely practice the Hippocratic Oath are leaving for greener pastures; leaving just the highway robbers and quacks who want to be worshipped like a god or demi-god!

Fred Wednesday, 30 November 2022 11:02 AM

What happened to our apothecaries if you can train more apothecaries it would help or has that service disappeared

Ajith Boralessa Wednesday, 30 November 2022 02:53 PM

sad that the Health minister him self doesnt know ths actual state of local docotors If they have so much of opportunity why are the ones about to go on traning so desperately flooding Linkedin the moment government stopped funding their training?? If all other professionals can find their own scholarships etc for postgrad why cant doctors? It dont shows how much they are not in demand outside of Sri Lanka Compare the numbers migrating. In computing and Engineering fields more than 50% of top notch grads leave the country. For doctors the numbers are extremely low because they have the least opportunities abroad.For Sri Lankan medical graduates every country requires sitting for additional exams which requires multiple years and personal funds. Some countries even with this don’t accept Sri Lankan medical degrees(e.g. Singapore). Whereas other tech professionals can directly go into well paid jobs. Even with higher education Sri Lankan medical grads don’t get a lot of opportunities

Samanalee Ferdinando Wednesday, 30 November 2022 02:56 PM

10,000 IT Engineer vs 300 doctors. What a joke! As I know there are 1000s of other tech professionals migrating in addition to the 10,000 like Electrical Engineers, Civil Engineers etc etc. But only the doctors keep harping! Reasons are obvious!

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300 doctors left the country since January: Keheliya

Comments - 29

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