Heart surgery crisis worsens as over 10,000 patients wait in state hospitals while private hospital costs rise beyond ordinary families.
Heart surgery crisis fears are rising after Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa revealed that more than 10,000 patients are now waiting for cardiac operations within Sri Lanka’s government hospital system, with some surgery dates reportedly pushed as far back as 2029.
The Chairman of the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Unions said this situation has created a dangerous life-threatening risk for heart patients receiving treatment in major hospitals in Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, and Batticaloa.
Dr. Sanjeewa stated that although many patients try to move to the private sector because of severe congestion in government hospitals, the cost has now reached a level ordinary citizens cannot afford. He said the basic fee for bypass surgery or stent placement has climbed to around Rs. 1.5 million, and that this amount can increase several times depending on the number of days a patient spends in intensive care.
Chamal Sanjeewa further stressed that although the government has said assistance for heart surgeries is available through the President’s Fund, that process has still not been seen functioning practically on the ground. He also noted that because health insurance schemes in the country are not operating properly, ordinary people are facing immense hardship when seeking treatment from private hospitals.
The doctor added that poor patients have been pushed into a deeply helpless situation due to shortages of surgical equipment in government hospitals. He said even some essential laboratory tests now have to be carried out through the private sector.
Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa warned that unless the government urgently intervenes and provides solutions to this worsening crisis, there is a serious risk that a large number of heart patients could die without receiving treatment.
