President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s pledge towards the creation of a robust health care system to benefit all citizens irrespective of their social status, covering all parts of the country, would be welcomed by all segments of society particularly the economically deprived. Addressing a gathering of doctors in Kandy on Thursday, the President stressed the need for the entire healthcare community including doctors and other healthcare professionals to work with the Government to address long-term problems. Medical professionals play a crucial role in our society. Their impact has been considerably heightened in the past year as a result of the pandemic. The President highlighted the numerous shortcomings he encountered during his visits to the rural areas in respect of delivery of healthcare and poor access to the health facilities for the rural populace. He said in some regions villagers had to travel 30 to 40 Kilometres to consult doctors and receive proper medical care. Hence, even though Sri Lanka has a free healthcare system these structural problems in the distribution of healthcare are a significant hurdle that should be overcome.
The President particularly stressed the need to improve healthcare delivery to the rural population and the careful attention of the medical community to guarantee good health to the entire population. After all, ensuring a healthy nation is one of the foremost goals outlined in his ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’ Document.
The President’s emphasis on uplifting healthcare facilities in the villages is but an echo of a perennial complaint made in this regard, most particularly about the state of rural hospitals. The President made reference to his Gama Samaga Pilisandara programmes during which he is able to obtain a first-hand glimpse of the problems faced by the rural community vis-a-vis healthcare delivery. Rural hospitals are in dire straits marked by a chronic dearth of doctors. There is a shortage of 4,000 doctors in the country mostly affecting rural hospitals which compelled the GMOA to demand that doctor’s retirement age be upped from the present 61 years to 63. There is also an acute shortage of certain medicines. There is also overcrowding in rural hospitals highlighting the lack of space. Rural hospitals are given a wide berth by doctors depriving the rural community of being treated by competent specialists. Frequent strikes by doctors and medical staff cause considerable hardships to patients, most notably in rural hospitals.
In the interim, until all these ills are rectified in the long term, priority should be given to preventive health. A holistic approach is the need of the hour, where accent will be laid towards improving the health of the community obviating the need for medical care. In this respect attention should be paid to the nutritional needs of the rural community. A majority of children in villages are marked by their stunted growth. Morbidity is common among pregnant mothers in the estate community. It is only axiomatic that illnesses and disease spring from factors such as lack of nutrition and weak immune systems. Measures should be taken to cater to their nutritional needs and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Then half the battle would have been won. True, budgets reserve considerable financial provisions for nutritional needs of targeted communities. But it is also equally true that it is the rural population who are the most disease prone. Poverty levels too contribute to the lack of nutritional intake and unhealthy practices such as alcoholism. All these factors should be addressed if the goal of a healthy nation is to be achieved.
Meanwhile, the Government should address as a priority the issue of the shortage of doctors in the country. The problem, as already mentioned, is aggravated in the rural areas. The shortfall is bound to continue for some time, for according to the GMOA, many of those who pass their internships fail to join the State medical service in the first year. While the ratio of doctors in relation to population is 17 per 1,000 in most developed countries here it is less than one percent, according to reports. Attractive incentives should be provided for retaining our medical professionals. Steps should also be taken to recruit Lankan doctors serving abroad to meet the shortfall.
The impact of our medical professionals and other healthcare staff was amply showcased during the present health crisis. Their service, enduring much hardship and sacrifice at risk to their own lives stood out like a beacon for all professionals to emulate. The full value of their contribution will only be known once the country comes out of the present nightmare.
It is time that our health service is restructured in a way that would benefit all segments of the community as desired by the President. It is only the haves that receive the best attention courtesy private hospitals while those who could ill afford the costs are left in the lurch and condemned to suffer. This anomaly should be removed in a country which prides itself on its free healthcare service. Work should get started right away in redressing the balance to provide equal treatment (pun intended) to all.
