50 to 60 apply for leave each month to work abroad
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Between 50 and 60 doctors apply for leave each month, for employment abroad, Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) spokesman, Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, says.Dr. Wijesinghe told The Island that some doctors might have left the country without obtaining leave.
“Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health does not have a list of medical professionals who have left the country. According to information available to us, more than 1,000 left the country last year.
Dr. Wijesinghe said even the state-run hospitals, in urban areas ,had been affected by the migration of doctors.However, the main hospitals like the Colombo National Hospital, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children and the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital had not been greatly affected by the shortage of doctors so far, he said.
“This is because senior consultants attached to these hospitals have decided to stay. Nurses and other health professionals are also leaving the country. A lot of medical consultants in peripheral hospitals have left.
“The economic crisis and political uncertainty were driving doctors away. They are worried about the future of their children. The current tax hikes will also make more medical professionals leave,” Dr. Wijesinghe said.
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