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Three-prong crisis hitting a body blow to the state health sector
View(s):By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
The three-prong critical issue that is ailing the state health is: the brain drain of specialists, both young and not so young; the sudden retirement of all specialists at 60 years of age; and the decreasing trend of returnees from among those who are on post-graduate training overseas, the Sunday Times learns.
The data would certainly send tingles down the spine of all those who care about the state health sector, from which thousands of men, women and children not only in the villages but also the big cities seek treatment.
A check on the last five years with regard to post-graduate trainees reveals:
2018 – 267 potential specialists had gone abroad for training, while 240 of those who had trained within one or two years before that had come back to Sri Lanka.
2019 – 290 potential specialists had gone abroad for training, while 262 of those who had trained within one or two years before that had come back to Sri Lanka.
2020 – 183 potential specialists had gone abroad for training, while 191 of those who had trained within one or two years before that had come back to Sri Lanka.
2021 – 299 potential specialists had gone abroad for training, while 204 of those who had trained within one or two years before that had come back to Sri Lanka.
2022 – 396 potential specialists had gone abroad for training, while only 106 of those who had trained within one or two years before that had come back to Sri Lanka.
Many asked in desperation whether this is not a cause for concern and why no one including politicians, is not doing something about it.
Pointing out that most probably this exodus or non-return to the country is sparked by the economic situation, a source said that it is “reasonable” to assume that the return of trainees armed with their specialist qualifications would be much below expected levels.
He said that even from among those who do return, a percentage is likely to leave after obtaining board-certification from the Post-Graduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM). This factor would severely jeopardize the peripheral hospitals.
Another attributed doctors seeking greener pastures because they cannot afford to fund their children who may be studying abroad; the huge discrepancy in the dollar and rupee value; the restrictive rules and regulations they have to face to secure foreign exchange to send their children abroad for studies; and the huge taxes on income they are being burdened with.
The retirement factor (at 60 years), meanwhile, would also play a role in the state health sector’s deterioration, said another source, highlighting that there was no significant drop of trainees returning to in 2018 and 2019, when, in fact, the retirement age was raised to 63 years.
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