The Sri Lanka Medical Association and the Medical Specialists Association say that the statement made by the Ministry of Health regarding the return of doctors who went abroad for training to Sri Lanka is misleading.
Deputy Director General (Medical Services) Dr.G. Wijesuriya said recently that, large numbet of doctors who went oversese are comming back. But he did not present the statistics about the doctors who come in this way.
According to the statistics, nearly 450 specialists have migrated since the end of 2022 and another 785 specialists are set to go abroad for training.
A limited number of specialists have returned, five including an obstetrician and gynecologist (VOG), a surgeon, an anesthetist, a pediatrician and an ophthalmologist.
Commenting on this situation, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said that considering the huge number of doctors who migrated last year, the return of five specialists to the country cannot be considered a positive development.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ashoka Gunaratne, the media spokesperson of the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS), who expressed concern about the escalation of emigration of medical professionals, said that they have not seen a good trend in the return of medical specialists to the country.