Sri Lanka’s health system is on the brink of collapse as the Government Medical Officers’ Association declares a nationwide strike, accusing the Ministry of Health of pushing doctors abroad, sabotaging transfers, and failing to protect those who remain.
A nationwide medical strike has been declared by the Government Medical Officers’ Association, with a press release issued outlining the basis of their decision and warning of dire consequences for Sri Lanka’s already fragile health system.
The GMOA accused the Ministry of Health of adopting a policy that actively drives doctors out of the country, instead of retaining them, and said the country is now at serious risk of losing its most valuable medical professionals.
According to the association, over 2,500 specialists and doctors have already left Sri Lanka’s health system amid political and economic instability, with no sign of the exodus slowing. They warned that the shortage of medical staff has created serious challenges in the delivery of hospital services nationwide.
The GMOA stated that despite submitting repeated proposals to encourage doctors to stay by offering fair economic conditions and a supportive professional environment, the Ministry of Health has failed to implement any permanent program. Instead, officials continue to allow doctors to leave in droves.
The press release charged that although protecting doctors should be a government priority, the Ministry has abandoned its responsibility, opting instead for “short-sighted and inefficient” measures. They stressed that the Ministry is not only failing to retain specialists but is effectively pushing them out of the system.
The statement also pointed to a lack of security for doctors working in hospitals. Despite high-profile incidents, including an attack on a female doctor at Anuradhapura Hospital and further assaults at Thelippalai, Akkarepattu and Damban, no national program has been introduced to guarantee the safety of medical professionals.
Even amid shortages of medicines and equipment, the GMOA said doctors had risked obtaining supplies from outside channels to continue patient care, but following investigations, legal obstacles, and media scrutiny, many have been forced to reconsider issuing such recommendations. They said the hastily drafted circular introduced by the Ministry to regulate the process is impractical and riddled with flaws.
Adding to the crisis, the Ministry has failed to provide legal protection for doctors, resulting in a growing number of specialists leaving the service entirely. The GMOA highlighted widespread frustration with the medical transfer process, citing irregularities and inefficiency that have left many new doctors reconsidering their future in Sri Lanka’s public health system.
They also criticized a recent circular that blocks doctors from applying for foreign leave, noting that this contradicts a 2022 directive that gave public servants up to five years abroad before rejoining the service. The GMOA said the new policy means doctors who leave will be lost forever.
The association further condemned what they described as contradictory policies, with the Ministry not only blocking new appointments for returning doctors but also discouraging those who might one day consider serving in Sri Lanka again.
The GMOA stressed that protecting doctors and strengthening the free health service should be the Ministry’s primary responsibility, but officials are instead dismantling the system. Despite repeated opportunities to resolve the crisis, the Ministry has failed to act.
The association announced that from Monday, August 25, at 8:00 AM, doctors will launch an island-wide strike against the Ministry’s failures, outlining several demands. These include publishing the revised list of vacancies for post-internship doctors, restoring difficult service posts unlawfully removed, reinstating 78 omitted vacancies from the 2025 transfer list, and launching impartial investigations into senior officials accused of acting illegally and arbitrarily.
The GMOA added that the future course of industrial action will be determined at an emergency central committee meeting on the same day, warning that the innocent patients of Sri Lanka will ultimately pay the price for what they describe as the Ministry of Health’s incompetence, contradictions, and reckless policies.
