While the Ministry of Health has instructed hospital authorities to postpone non-essential and non-urgent surgeries that could be delayed based on medical recommendations, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) is seeking an explanation from the Secretary to the Ministry regarding the basis upon which surgeries are defined as non-essential.
Speaking at a media briefing yesterday (13), GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said: “Several parties have been pointing out to the authorities the crisis in the health sector, but none of those warnings were paid attention to. A decision has now been taken to postpone the performance of surgeries and the Ministry has officially announced it. This is a questionable matter. We hope to question the Ministry Secretary (Janaka Sri Chandraguptha) as to how a surgery can be defined as non-essential.”
Although one may say that the postponing of routine surgeries at hospitals is the best decision which can be taken in the prevailing situation, he said that the said decision will however cause many issues. He also queried if this is how the authorities, which have been given several prior warnings that a crisis situation will emerge, are fulfilling their responsibilities towards the people. “One can logically say that this is the best solution as even emergency surgeries will have to be suspended in a month or two if we continue to perform routine surgeries amid the shortage of drugs and medical equipment. However, this decision will cause many issues.”
Speaking further, he said that the GMOA and several other parties have been emphasising to the Ministry on the need to resolve the crisis situation in the health sector. He said that they have been attempting to find solutions to issues such as the shortage of drugs at both government and private hospitals, the rising prices of drugs and various incidents of corruption and irregularities during the purchase of drugs and medical equipment, locally, and even brought the matter to the attention of international organisations such as the World Health Organisation when such attempts proved futile.
The Ministry, on 12 February, stated that it had instructed the hospital authorities to postpone non-essential and non-urgent surgeries that could be delayed based on medical recommendations, amid a growing health sector crisis due to the shortage of pharmaceutical drugs and medical equipment. The decision has seen strong opposition from several parties, particularly on social media, who have claimed that surgeries are performed on patients only due to medical reasons and that they cannot be defined as non-essential or non-urgent.