The Government spends Rs. 18 million to turn out a single medical specialist while Rs. 6 million is spent to produce a doctor. This was revealed by medical specialist Dr. Krishantha Abeysena, who wanted the Government to act urgently to halt medical professionals leaving the country lest the sick start to die for want of medical attention.
The doctor couldn’t be more right. Here we have the Government spending through the nose to produce doctors and other professionals only to see them take their skills and know-how to other countries and to an alien people while their primary duty should be to the Sri Lankan taxpayer who funded their education and made them go places. According to the GMOA, 80 doctors have already left the country including medical specialists with more lined up to leave seeking greener pastures. This, when we are already short of 4,000 doctors in State hospitals.
When considering the colossal amount running into billions of rupees incurred by the State to produce these doctors who have already left and are set to leave, one cannot but feel that this is money down the drain. What have these professionals given the State in return for being so generous, and with the taxpayers’ money at that? Isn’t this not ingratitude and being unpatriotic of the worst form? Can the Government continue to fund the education of doctors and other professionals at such tremendous cost only to see them turn their back to the Motherland especially at a time like this when the country is facing an unprecedented crisis? If this is going to be the trend, is it not better if this money is spent on other worthy causes or on an enterprise that would give something back in return to the State?
The Government must rethink this whole matter over and come to a conclusion whether spending all this money is worth the effort at all. One should not lose sight of the fact that a good portion of this money is made up by the increase in the prices of essential goods paid for by the poor by way of taxes. Is it fair by this segment who are already made to undergo tremendous hardships?
Won’t it be a better idea if the money spent on producing doctors and other professionals is channeled to provide relief to these segments? At least they will not ditch the country although they will not be of much use in terms of professional ability.
It is time the Government devises a measure to ensure that those who benefit from the State for their higher education are retained to serve the country, at least for a specific period. True, doctors and other professionals leaving the country seeking greener pastures cannot be stopped. Equally, the Government has the right to demand that they give back the country something in return for benefiting by its munificence.
The Government should explore the possibility of introducing laws to make this happen. The example of the military can be a guiding point. No military officer can leave the Forces at his or her will and is bound by the strict regimentation. If he does so he becomes a deserter and thus an outlaw. Of course, professionals cannot be treated on par with the military. However, there should be some way whereby they can be compelled to abide by a set of guidelines.
The Government’s primary duty lies with the people of this country and their welfare should be the uppermost in its list of priorities. In this quest, some hardening of its stances cannot be avoided.
In the meantime, all measures should be taken to produce more doctors and medical specialists to overcome the flight of talent. Opening Private Medical Colleges is one way of tackling the problem. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has also proposed to increase the intake into Medical College as another step to confront the crisis. However, all this will be to no avail if the doctors, once having passed out, decide to migrate. Hence, every measure should be taken to retain their services.
Perhaps, one of the chief causes for doctors and specialists to leave is the prevailing crisis affecting the health sector. According to Dr. Abeysena himself, hospitals, apart from the severe dearth of doctors, are critically short of medicines while the medical equipment had seen better days.
Rural hospitals are the worst affected where even surgeries have been suspended for want of medical inputs and accessories. Patients are forced to purchase their drugs from private pharmacies at prices they could ill afford, calling to question the whole matter of free healthcare. The recent issue surrounding substandard drugs and medicines which have caused harm to patients has also made the work of doctors rather difficult.
No doctor or medical professional would like to function under such circumstances and this frustration may also have given rise to the flight of medical specialists from the country. The Health Ministry should lose no time in attending to these shortcomings lest we lose the services of more doctors and medical professionals leaving the sick at grave peril.
