300 medical graduates who completed internship refuse to take appointments: Dr. Nalinda

By Ajith Siriwardana  

The Country’s health sector is facing a dire situation now where some 300 out of 1,400 medical graduates who had completed the internship in April this year, have not obtained appointments as doctors, former NPP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said.  

He said addressing a seminar in Colombo on Tuesday that Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) registration could be obtained only after completing the internship.  
“The newest issue is that medical graduates who graduate from local universities do not undertake the internship. They are also leaving the country. The government must take steps to stop them leaving the country,” he said.  

He said some 1,500 to 1,700 medical doctors out of 18, 600 have left their jobs while 748 doctors will be retiring by next month.  
“While some doctors are retiring, the ones who go for overseas training are not returning,” he said.  

Dr. Jayatissa said the hospital system was on the verge of collapsing due to shortage of trained staff, pharmaceutical shortage and shortage in medical apparatus.