‘Physiotherapy services crippled due to recruitment delays’-GPOA

Protest staged by GPOA in 2025 demanding the government to expedite recruitment of physiotherapy officers

Asela Gunawardena (left), Dinusha Lakmal and members of GPOA at the recent media briefing

Physiotherapy officers in government hospitals are working under stressful conditions and are overwhelmed with a heavy workload

The shortage of physiotherapy officers has compelled patients to seek private medical care

Operating Intensive Care Units in most Government hospitals has become a challenge due to the non-availability of physiotherapy services

Members of the Government Physiotherapy Officers Association (GPOA) reiterated its concerns with regards to delays in recruitments, transfers of officers currently in service and the emergence of less qualified private physiotherapy practitioners at a recent media briefing. 

GPOA Secretary Dinusha Lakmal said that after November 2020 the Government hasn’t recruited any physiotherapy officers to its existing cadre. “As a result, physiotherapy units in certain hospitals have closed down. For instance, the physiotherapy unit at Maha Oya hospital in Ampara District has been closed down because the physiotherapy officers have migrated overseas. Therefore patients have to travel around 60-70km from Maha Oya to Ampara hospital to seek treatment,” he said while adding that it has become a challenge to operate Intensive Care Units in most hospitals due to the non-availability of physiotherapy services.

He noted that on one hand, patients are facing inconveniences due to the shortage of physiotherapy officers in government hospitals. “In addition, officers currently in service haven’t been assigned for transfers over the past five and a half years, resulting in issues in their personal and professional life. They are working under stressful conditions and are overwhelmed with a heavy workload,” he added. 

The shortage of physiotherapy officers has compelled patients to seek private medical care. However, the GPOA has raised concerns regarding fraudulent individuals who are engaged in physiotherapy services. Lakmal noted that many such individuals make use of social media, promoting various devices used for physiotherapy and have been cheating people in the guise of carrying out these services. He warned patients to be aware of such individuals and that patients should initially ensure that the practitioners they are being referred to are registered at the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC). 

He further said that while around 500 graduates are currently awaiting employment, there are nearly 300 vacancies in the existing cadre. Another issue faced during the recruitment of physiotherapy officers is the fact that these skilled professionals are required to sit for a general knowledge and aptitude test. According to Lakmal this is unnecessary given the fact that graduates who specialise in physiotherapy pursue a four-year honourary degree in addition to a hospital-based clinical training and a practical training thereafter. He questioned the basis of recruiting a physiotherapy officer in this manner. 

Responding to a query on whether these matters have been discussed with Government officials, Lakmal said that they have raised these matters with successive governments since 2020. “We have discussed with the incumbent Government as well. But there seems to be no progress. Right now we want solutions to these issues,” he said. 

In his remarks, GPOA Executive Member Asela Gunawardena urged the Government to expedite new recruitments and approve transfers of physiotherapy officers currently in service to resolve the crisis at hand. “Many physiotherapy officers have migrated overseas and some officers retire every year, resulting in a shortage. There is a handful of physiotherapy officers at the Colombo National Hospital compared to the number of officers who were employed in 2020. Physiotherapy services are a main component of patient care services and there are many patients who require these services,” he underscored.