Retirement age for medical specialists to be gazetted

By Sheain Fernandopulle  
After growing concerns over the delayed gazette on the retirement age for medical specialists, which jeopardized the continued service of over 200 doctors, the Ministry of Public Administration has decided to move forward with publishing the gazette notification.   
Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa submitted a new note addressing the Court of Appeal’s ruling, which maintained the retirement age for specialists in state hospitals at 63 years, a policy in effect since 2018.  Although the ruling and Cabinet approval on June 19, 2024, extended the retirement age, the Ministry of Public Administration had delayed issuing the official circular or gazette to formalize the decision.   
The Ministry of Health had already aligned with the ruling by issuing its own circular, but the Public Administration Ministry’s failure to formalize the decision left specialists in limbo.