Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana has instructed officials of the Health Ministry to take the necessary steps to reopen the hospitals that were closed due to various reasons.
The Minister has given these instructions in a discussion with the representatives of the Government Medical Officers’ Association. At present, nearly 40 Government hospitals across the island are closed and nearly 100 hospitals are about to close.
Minister Pathirana has also instructed to appoint a special committee headed by the Director General of Health Services consisting of the members of the Government Medical Officers’ Association and assign the required medical personnel to these hospitals promptly and take the necessary steps to resume the patient treatment services.
It has been identified that most of the hospitals were closed due to the lack of doctors and there are more hospitals about to close in the districts of the Northern Province, Puttalam and Nuwara Eliya.
It was also revealed that this situation has arisen due to factors such as doctors going abroad, retiring, getting transfers and leaving the service.
The appreciation of the Government Medical Officers’ Association was also expressed to the Health Minister for his constant cooperation with the trade unions related to the health sector to find solutions to the current problems in the health sector.
Also, the transfers of doctors, training of doctors, assigning of doctors to hospitals based on service requirement and transfers of medical administrative officers were discussed.
Acting Health Secretary Consultant Dr. Sunil de Alwis, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Deputy Director General (Laboratory Services) Consultant Dr. Sudath Dharmaratne, Director (Tertiary Services) Dr. Priyantha Athapatthu, Director (Medical Services) Dr. Priyantha Karunaratne, representatives of the Government Medical Officers’ Association, and a group of officials from the Health Ministry, including Dr. Darshana Sirisena, Secretary and Dr. Haritha Aluthge participated in the meeting.
Ishara Mudugamuwa
