Health sources say that the main reason why the opening of the Kalutara District General Hospital’s maternity hospital in Gallassa is currently facing a crisis is the shortage of anaesthetists.
While the Health Ministry was willing to appoint new doctors as a solution to this, the specialist doctor in charge of the subject of anaesthetics there has said at a main meeting of the Health Ministry that since the anaesthetists working at the hospital are working overtime, they should be instructed to work during the period during which they are working overtime.
Accordingly, from now on, if the anaesthetists at the hospital want to work overtime, they will have to remain actively in the hospital during the overtime period, hospital sources say.
Sources say that if a circular is issued instructing anaesthetists to remain in hospital during overtime, it could affect all doctors islandwide.