A critical public hospital faces a deepening medical crisis as heart and neurosurgeries stall, leaving thousands of patients trapped in uncertainty and mounting costs.
Neurosurgery services at the Jayawardenapura General Hospital have been suspended for nearly a year, following the resignation of neurosurgeons attached to the hospital after the arrest of a female specialist doctor by the Bribery Commission, according to Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, Chairman of the Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights.
Speaking on the growing healthcare emergency, Dr. Sanjeewa stated that heart surgeries at the Jayawardenapura Hospital have also been suspended for several weeks, further intensifying pressure on an already strained public health system. He explained that the halt in cardiac surgeries is not due to a lack of patients or facilities, but rather an administrative failure involving highly specialized technical staff.
According to Dr. Sanjeewa, two senior technicians with critical expertise in operating the heart lung machine used during heart bypass surgery are both over 60 years of age. As a result, the hospital board is currently awaiting cabinet approval to reinstate them. Until that approval is granted, the technicians cannot legally resume duties, despite their irreplaceable experience in cardiac surgery procedures.
He further noted that while there are three junior officers trained in the relevant field currently working at the hospital, the crisis has escalated due to the reluctance of cardiac surgeons to rely on their services. Cardiologists have reportedly emphasized that during heart surgery, a patient’s heart function is transferred entirely to a machine, making the presence of senior technicians essential for patient safety.
Because of this impasse, heart surgeries at Jayawardenapura Hospital have been completely halted until the administrative issues are resolved. This has had severe consequences for patients who depend on state funded cardiac care.
Dr. Sanjeewa highlighted that the minimum cost of a heart bypass surgery at a private hospital now approaches Rs. 2 million. Even within government hospitals, patients are required to bear hospital related charges close to Rs. 500,000, excluding medical and service fees. The suspension of surgeries, he said, represents a serious injustice to patients who were expecting affordable, lifesaving treatment through the public health system.
He also revealed that nearly ten thousand patients across Sri Lanka are currently waiting for heart related surgeries, with projected waiting periods extending up to five years. Under these circumstances, Dr. Sanjeewa stressed that the government must urgently intervene to resolve the crisis at Jayawardenapura Hospital before further harm is done to patients.
