Compensation to be sought from countries taking Sri Lankan doctors
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed seeking compensation from countries like the United Kingdom that recruit Sri Lankan doctors.
Speaking at a meeting held with the Ministry of Health, the President noted that doctors in countries like the UK are leaving, forcing those countries to recruit doctors from Sri Lanka.
“It’s like loss and damage we have in climate change. Your people are leaving, that’s not our faut. Either change your system and pay your doctors or compensate us for that,” the President said.
He proposed that the matter be raised by Sri Lanka at the next World Health Organisation (WHO) meeting.
Meanwhile, the President directed officials to formulate a new Medical Act within six months with the aim of addressing shortcomings in the present Medical Ordinance and thereby provide better healthcare and protect citizens’ well-being.
A high-level Committee, consisting of the Secretary of Health, Legal Draftsman, and President of the SLMC, was assigned to examine the provisions of the Medical Ordinance and formulate a new Medical Act with appropriate provisions.
To address immediate medical needs, an additional allocation of Rs. 30 billion was approved for medical supplies under the Provision to Ministry of Health, sufficient for the next three months.
On President Wickremesinghe’s directions to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to expedite the approval process for FDA-approved drugs and reference drugs from other countries that collaborated with the Health Ministry, the NMRA sought to obtain Cabinet approval to make the necessary amendments to the NMRA Act that will ensure faster access to critical medications.
The President also called for a detailed report to strengthen the role of the NMRA in regulating medical products and ensuring public health safety.
Efforts to improve medicine distribution and inventory management were discussed, with the President emphasizing the need for a web-based system to provide real-time information on available medicines and their distribution among hospitals with immediate effect as discussed during the meeting two weeks ago.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Health Minister Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella, Chief of Presidential Staff and Senior Adviser on National Security to the President Sagala Ratnayake, Secretary to the President E. M. S. B. Ekanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayaka, Secretary to the Ministry of Health S. Janaka Sri Chandraguptha, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Health officials and Finance Ministry officials attended the meeting. (Colombo Gazette)
