COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s once-renowned healthcare system, once lauded as among the finest in the region, is now facing a critical downturn, grappling with a significant exodus of medical professionals. As patients grapple with prolonged waits and dwindling medical support, experts are urging government intervention to stem the outflow of talent.
According to data provided exclusively to Context by the Government Medical Officers’ Association trade union, over the past two years, more than 1,700 medical officers, encompassing doctors and other healthcare personnel, have departed from Sri Lanka. This marks a stark escalation from the approximately 200 departures recorded in 2021 alone. The recent surge in departures has dealt a severe blow to the country’s revered universal healthcare system, upon which the majority of its 22 million citizens rely.
The shortage of medical staff has become painfully evident for patients like Srimal Nalaka, 47, who recently endured a six-hour wait for his routine diabetes checkup at a state-operated hospital south of Colombo, the commercial hub of the nation. “It is very sad to see the lack of doctors. The little support we had is slipping away,” lamented Nalaka, who is coping with a diabetic ulcer on his right leg. “The economic crisis has hit us all, but for those of us with health issues, the impact is even more severe.”
Concerns loom over the potential exacerbation of the situation, hinting at even bleaker prospects for the healthcare system in the near future.
