• Keheliya queries collective decision of specialists over potential Ministerial nepotism, cronyism in granting contractual appointments

Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella said that it is questionable why medical specialists do not take advantage of the opportunity to work on a contract basis for two years after retirement.

Medical specialists have however taken a collective decision to not work on a contract basis due to what they claim is potential loyalty related issues arising out of possible nepotism and cronyism on the part of the subject Minister when granting appointments on a contract basis.

Ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Government Parliamentarian, Jagath Kumara Sumithraarachchi yesterday (27) queried Rambukwella regarding measures that have been taken by the Government to address the shortage of medical specialists which has arisen due to reasons such as the new retirement policy on public servants.

Responding to the query, Rambukwella said that medical specialists are supposed to retire at the age of 60 years, under the national retirement policy. "The retirement age is decided on a national policy. There are some legal proceedings going on against it. An interim order was issued on the retirement age of medical specialists, but it was removed recently. Therefore, those who complete the relevant age have to retire now, in line with the national policy." However, he said that there is a possibility to facilitate the medical specialists to serve for two years under a contract basis following their retirement, after having necessary discussions with the Ministry of Public Administration. "The relevant associations of medical specialists should be asked why they do not make use of this option. There are reasons for their refusal. I am not ready to reveal them here. I will make a statement if a need arises," he added.

Speaking further, Rambukwella said that although the number of medical specialists was 1,740 when their retirement age was raised from 60 to 63 years in 2018, there are 2,646 medical specialists at present. "There are about 800 more medical specialists than the country had when the decision to raise their retirement age was taken. Also, the President has newly named three teaching hospitals. Through that, we hope to increase the number of medical graduates who pass out from medical colleges from 1,500 to 5,000," he added.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Daily Morning, a medical specialist working at a leading Government hospital said that they (medical specialists) had taken a collective decision that they would not work on a contract basis as the granting of such appointments would be based on the Minister's interest. "If appointments are given on a contract basis, those who are loyal to the Minister will be given them, and the others will not. That is why we have decided that we will not work on a contract basis," she said.

She also commented on Rambukwella's remarks on the number of medical specialists in the country: "As per reports prepared by the Health Ministry, there are only about 2,400 medical specialists. Out of them, more than 280 are due to retire by the end of this year (2023), and more than 350 have left the country for foreign employment in the recent months. Accordingly, there are only about 1,800 specialists in the country. It is clear that the Minister's statement is misleading."

One of the main sectors where the new retirement policy introduced by the Government through which the retirement age of public servants was reduced to 60 years, has had an inevitable negative impact is the country’s health service. Especially considering that there is already a shortage of medical specialists in many hospitals across the Island, and a large number of specialists leaving the country due to the current economic crisis, the relevant parties warned on several occasions that a shortage of specialists will inevitably arise in the country, given the en-bloc retirement of medical specialists and certain other reasons. The Court of Appeal had also issued an interim order preventing the new retirement policy from being implemented on medical specialists.