• Fuel stations are refusing to give priority to doctors and healthcare staff 
• They spend 6–10 hours in fuel queues, even at filling stations allocated
• They have decided to curtail performing of cardio thoracic surgeries

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama   

The cardiac surgeons and cardiac anesthesiologists in state hospitals have said that they have decided to curtail several surgeries from today (20) due to the dearth of drugs and consumables and also due to the fuel crisis.  A letter in this regard was issued recently and mentioned that the crisis is continuing to escalate.   

Most petrol and diesel pumping stations are refusing to give priority to doctors and healthcare staff due to public anger.  

Therefore, they have restricted performing of cardio thoracic surgeries.  

They also claimed that they used to spend 6–10 hours in fuel queues, even at filling stations allocated for essential services.  So only two theatres are functioning. Each surgeon is listed to use only one operating theatre per week while allocating a limited number of junior medical officers, nurses, technical staff, and junior staff.  
However, we would do our best to perform the most critical and urgent cases, the letter said.