Nine more doctors leave A’pura Teaching Hospital

• Health Ministry and the Education Ministry informed about the latest situation

By Upul Herath Thalawa  

Weeks after the closure of the professorial unit of the paediatrics ward of the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, following the migration of four paediatricians, nine more General Doctors at the hospital left the hospital, officials sources said.  

They said that in addition to that six other doctors have taken leave of two to five years. Accordingly,  a total of fifteen General Doctors at the hospital have left the hospital in the recent past.  

Confirming the report, the Director of Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Dulan Samaraweera said that he had already informed the Health Ministry and the Education Ministry about the latest situation. He however refused to reveal how many doctors had left the hospital.   

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health are aware of the shortage of doctors in Ward 63 of professorial Medical Unit. There is no solution to that problem yet, the director said.  

Due to the closure of the professorial unit of the paediatric ward of the Rajarata University’s Faculty of Medicine, medical students have also lost the opportunity for clinical training.  
He also said that a few doctors from the teaching hospital had taken leave to go abroad and it is a normal situation occasionally. The Ministry of Health has sent several doctors to replace them. As a result of the doctors going abroad, there has been no major impact on the patients.”  

• Due to the closure of the professorial unit of the pediatric ward of the Rajarata University’s Faculty of Medicine, medical students have also lost the opportunity for clinical training