Public healthcare facing collapse while citizens face bankruptcy

Today while the average wage remains at around Rs. 30,000/- per month, the cost of providing two square meals a day to a family of four costs over Rs. 100,000/- per month

Our health care system was once described as one of the best in that its pro-poor health system covers all Sri Lankans, thanks mainly to the free health policy implemented since 1951. Thanks to this policy our country has the lowest maternal mortality rate in South Asia.  Maternal mortality rates dropped drastically from 56 deaths out of 100,000 live births in 2000 to 36 deaths out of 100,000 live births in 2017.

However, our health care system is now in danger of collapsing. Though our country meets World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standards of doctor to patient ratio   with one doctor and two nurses per 1,000 patients, the country faces an extreme shortage of trained specialists like dentists, cardiologists and oncologists. The workforce distribution too is uneven with a concentration of professionals in urban areas leaving rural hospitals understaffed.

A study by “The Sunday Times” revealed since the 2022 economic crisis Lanka has faced a severe medical ‘brain drain’.  Approximately449 doctors left the country in 2023 for overseas training or work. About 1,489 medical professionals migrated between 2022 and 2024. This mass exodus has acutely strained the public healthcare.

Just yesterday the Minister of Health and Mass Media warned a further increase of dengue cases could overwhelm the hospital system. The health care system has been further weakened by specialist doctors leaving our shores in droves. 

By mid-2025, Health Ministry data revealed a nationwide shortfall of nearly 1,139 specialist doctors across 134 hospitals. Adding to the misery medicinal drugs are in short supply. Health Professionals Association President Ravi Kumudesh claimed significant gaps in the supply of medicines managed by the Medical Supply Division (MSD).  According to Kumadesh, 2 out of 13 vital medicine items (15.38%) are completely out of stock at MSD. He added 116 priority medicine items have only one month’s stock remaining, another 59 items have stock levels sufficient for just one to two months. In total, 175 priority drug items (28.3%) are considered at high risk of running out in the coming months. Worse the MSD has withdrawn three types of cardiac stents due to safety concerns  

Our present government lays the blame for this precarious situation in the health sector at the feet of previous regimes. We, the citizens of this country, know this.  It is the very reason, whether we come from the north, south, east or west, we voted to put the present government into power. 

The people need solutions and the precarious situation in the health sector is only one of them. Wages are not keeping up with the rising cost of living and this is the biggest problem the majority of our people face. Today while the average wage remains at around Rs. 30,000/- per month, the cost of providing two square meals a day to a family of four costs over Rs. 100,000/- per month.

For too long government has sought to take people’s minds off the problem that they are unable to feed, clothe, and educate their children  by making a show of charging past politicians of corrupt practice. But what we see in reality, is a procession of so-called corrupt persons remanded and a while later released on bail. 

Again none of the persons accused of corruption on a mega scale have as yet been brought before a court of law and punished for their crimes nor the loot they are accused of spiriting away brought back to the country. All of them continue their luxurious life style. Even worse certain members of the ruling clique too, today are being accused of corrupt practice themselves. 

Making matters worse media reports speak of pharmaceutical prices being expected to further increase! While government must necessarily bring to book corrupt persons, it must lay equal emphasis to find ways and means to bring down the cost of living to affordable levels.

Presently the weak parliamentary opposition has failed to offer our people a viable programme to challenge government policies. If government does not act to reverse this situation, they may soon face a similar situation like silent protests which ultimately led to the overthrow of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government. 

This country has faced a coup-de-tat, two armed uprisings by the JVP, two to three race riots and a near thirty-year-long insurgency. Governement needs to ensure it does not create the conditions for another uprising.  

‘Your Thought’ is a space, a right of the readers to support or contradict and discuss the issues highlighted in the editorial and other articles in the editorial and op-ed pages. Designed as the reader’s editorial; our readers can send in their writings, with a word count not exceeding 200, to ‘Your Thought’, Daily Mirror Political Features Desk, No 8, Hunupitiya Cross Road, Colombo 2 or email to [email protected]