Colombo: An exodus of doctors and health workers in Sri Lanka has ignited a crisis, leaving vulnerable patients in dire straits. Once renowned as a top healthcare provider in the region, Sri Lanka's medical system is now ailing due to the departure of hundreds of medical professionals.
With patients left waiting and suffering, experts are urging the government to take action to stem the loss of vital talent.
According to exclusive data provided by the Government Medical Officers’ Association trade union to Context, over the past two years, more than 1,700 medical officers, encompassing doctors and other healthcare professionals, have departed from Sri Lanka.
This compares to the departure of around 200 doctors and other health workers in 2021. The latest exodus has dealt a heavy blow to the island nation's much-praised universal health system on which most of its 22 million people depend.
“It is very sad to see the lack of doctors. The little support we had is slipping away,” said Srimal Nalaka, 47, who had been waiting for six hours for his monthly diabetes checkup at a state-run hospital south of the commercial capital Colombo.
“The economic crisis has hit us all, but for those of us with health issues the impact is even more severe,” said Nalaka, who has a diabetic ulcer on his right leg.
A health ministry report, exclusively shared with Context, has revealed that between June 2022 and July 2023, 4,284 doctors obtained "Good Standing" certificates from the Medical Council. These certificates are crucial for verifying an individual's professional status to foreign regulators. This significant number suggests that many doctors are contemplating leaving Sri Lanka as well.