Doctors in dilemma over no guidance on prescribing surgical equipment to be purchased from outside: GMOA

• Steps are being taken to appoint a committee to look into the shortage of medical professionals — including consultants — in hospitals across Anuradhapura District, including Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, as well as the prevailing issues in the healthcare system and to submit a report to the Chief Incumbent of the Atamasthana in order to inform health authorities and the current government

By B. G. Chathuranga - Anuradhapura

Secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa said that consultants and other medical professionals are in a predicament due to legal problems confronting them in prescribing medicines and surgical equipment to be purchased from outside.

He said there is a lack of necessary guidelines when they recommend obtaining medicines and surgical equipment from outside, when they are unavailable at hospitals.

He made these remarks yesterday at a press briefing held in Anuradhapura.

Dr. Sugathadasa said that steps are being taken to appoint a committee to look into the shortage of medical professionals — including consultants — in hospitals across Anuradhapura District, including Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, as well as the prevailing issues in the healthcare system and to submit a report to the Chief Incumbent of the Atamasthana in order to inform health authorities and the current government.

He stated that the goal of this effort is to improve the quality of the healthcare sector.

He said that there are ongoing shortages of medicines, surgical equipment, and laboratory facilities in hospitals, causing severe inconvenience to patients. He added that the failure to provide doctors with the necessary guidance when they recommend obtaining unavailable items within the hospital system from outside raises legal concerns and puts medical professionals, including consultants, in a difficult position.