• H’tota to consider vacation of post if consultant anaesthetist does not report to work by today

Acting Consultant Anaesthetist Dr. H.P.A. Maduwanthi at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama, who was released to the District General Hospital in Hambantota with effect from 3 October on the instructions of the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena, is yet to report to service at the latter Hospital, The Daily Morning learns.

Since the Consultant Anaesthetist at the Hambantota District General Hospital had left the country without giving any notice, the Hospital has been maintaining patient care services without the presence of an anaesthetist, in the midst of many difficulties, for more than two months.

Against this backdrop, the Ragama Teaching Hospital Director, Dr. P.A. Liyanage Ranaweera, through a letter dated 3 October, had informed the Hambantota District General Hospital Director, Dr. Suranga Ubeysekara that Dr. Maduwanthi had been released from the Ragama Teaching Hospital to be attached to the Hambantota District General Hospital after her service on 3 October.

Despite the issuance of the relevant letter on 3 October, The Daily Morning learns that Dr. Maduwanthi had, as of yesterday (9) evening, not reported to the Hambantota District General Hospital, and is still at the Ragama Teaching Hospital. When contacted by The Daily Morning, a senior official of the Hambantota District General Hospital said that no anaesthetist had reported to the Hospital, and that it was currently running without an anaesthetist.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday, Dr. Ranaweera said that everything that had to be done with regard to Dr. Maduwanthi's release from the Hospital's end, had already been done. “I have released her from this Hospital. I don’t know if she is somewhere in the Hospital, but, I have instructed the relevant parties not to process anything regarding her from this Hospital’s end, and warned them that doing something of that sort is illegal.” He further said that he had informed Dr. Gunawardena that Dr. Maduwanthi had not accepted the relevant letter through which she had been released, adding that a letter had been sent to her via the registered post.

Meanwhile, sources within the Hambantota District General Hospital stated that due to the absence of a Consultant Anaesthetist, the Medical Officers – Anaesthesia, had been anaesthetising patients for surgeries in the recent past. However, sources claimed that they (medical officers) had also been disappointed by the continuous delay in allocating a Consultant Anaesthetist, even though they initially worked with the belief that an attachment would soon be made to the Hospital.

Reliable sources also said that Hambantota District General Hospital would consider her as having left vacant the post, if Dr. Maduwanthi does not report to work today (10) as well.

When contacted on an earlier occasion, Dr. Maduwanthi, saying that The Daily Morning may have dialled an inaccurate mobile number, said that she had not been released to the Hambantota District General Hospital.

According to the annual transfer list of specialist medical officers, 2023, prepared by the Ministry of Health, the District General Hospitals in Hambantota, Embilipitiya, Polonnaruwa, Monaragala, Kilinochchi, Ampara, Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu, the Teaching Hospitals in Anuradhapura, Badulla and Batticaloa, and the Base Hospitals in Balangoda, Puttalam, Tangalle, Medirigiriya, Dickoya, Mahiyanganaya, Diyatalawa, Welimada, Kantale, Akkaraipattu and Tellipalai, are lacking Consultant Anaesthetists.