Following the incident of a female doctor facing an unfortunate event at Anuradhapura Hospital on the night of March 10, healthcare professionals across Sri Lanka have been sharing their experiences on social media regarding safety concerns and inadequate facilities in the healthcare sector.
Many women in healthcare have actively participated in these discussions.
It has also been observed that the issue of women’s safety in the healthcare sector, which previously did not receive much public attention, has gained significant traction on social media following this incident.
‘In Kilinochchi, We Stayed in Temporary Wooden Rooms’
In a Facebook post, Dr. Bodhini Samaratunga condemned the Anuradhapura incident and recalled her experience of working at Kilinochchi Hospital, where she and her colleagues stayed in temporary wooden rooms.
“I know how unsafe hospitals can feel because I have worked in many high-risk environments. In Kilinochchi, we stayed in temporary wooden rooms built beside the hospital. Despite these conditions, we trusted the local community and believed we were safe. We would even go to the hospital at night in case of emergencies. The oncology room we had was only separated from the ward by a half-covered aluminum and glass partition about 10 feet high,” she wrote.
She also stated that the situation at Vavuniya Hospital was similar.
“The Vavuniya physical medicine ward did not have an on-call room for doctors. So, we often had to walk from the medical dormitory to the ward at night,” she shared.
Dr. Samaratunga also mentioned that after the recent sexual assault and murder of a female doctor in India, many unsafe hospitals in Sri Lanka have been flagged for attention with calls for immediate action.
“A lot of work has been done by female doctors’ advocacy groups to improve hospital safety. Information has been gathered on unsafe hospitals, but ensuring security remains the responsibility of hospital administrators, local government officials, and the Ministry of Health,” she pointed out.
‘That Very Night, a Female Doctor of My Age Was Raped!’
Dr. Hansi Samaratunga, a doctor at Ratnapura Teaching Hospital, wrote on Facebook about how she was on duty the same night the Anuradhapura incident occurred.
“Since I don’t have a personal vehicle, I go to work on on-call duty either on foot or by three-wheeler, alone. Last night, I left the hospital at 11:15 PM. By the time I had dinner, freshened up, and returned to the hospital, it was 12 AM. I finished my shift and went home at 3 AM,” she wrote.
“For so long, I have traveled alone at night without fear, believing that Sri Lankan hospitals were safe for female doctors. But that same night in Anuradhapura, a fellow doctor of my age was raped while on night duty!”
She questioned how women in the healthcare sector can continue working day and night under such conditions.
‘I Don’t Even Know If It Happened in the Same Room I Stayed In’
Dr. Gayani Samaratunga, who stayed at the female doctors’ official residence at Anuradhapura Hospital about ten years ago, stated that the residence remains unsafe.
“It’s an official residence in the middle of a jungle with broken lights. There’s a vehicle access road, but unless you have a vehicle, you can’t reach it easily. The alternative footpath is a deserted, overgrown jungle trail with no lights. It must still be like this.
There was never a security guard back then, and I doubt there is one now. Even if there is, it’s likely temporary. I don’t know if the attack happened in the same room I once stayed in, but the lack of security remains unchanged,” she wrote.
‘Specialist Doctors and PGIM Should Also Be Held Accountable’
Many social media discussions have also criticized the role of senior doctors in contributing to hospital insecurity.
Dr. Priya Anwari, widely known as ‘Dr. Priya’ on social media, addressed these concerns in a Facebook post.
“In some hospitals, the lack of security guards, CCTV cameras, and other basic safety measures is not just the fault of the administration but also the responsibility of senior specialists, postgraduate institutes, and medical colleges,” she wrote.
She recalled that at the National Hospital, specialists had opposed setting up a dedicated doctors’ on-call room. It was only after years of lobbying and a journalist’s intervention that an inquiry to the hospital director finally led to the establishment of such a room.
Other Safety Issues Raised by Healthcare Workers
Dr. Farooq Rafsanjani, in another Facebook post, revealed that a hidden camera was once found in the female doctors’ changing room at Kandy Hospital, yet authorities took no significant action.
Another female doctor commented on social media about working in male wards, stating that she was repeatedly called into male waiting rooms at night by male attendants instead of being contacted through proper channels.
When she reported the issue to senior male doctors, no action was taken.
‘Junior Female Staff Are More Vulnerable Than Female Doctors’
A female junior hospital staff member at a Colombo government hospital shared her experiences with BBC Sinhala, stating that female paramedics and hospital attendants face even greater risks than female doctors.
“If we have to transfer a patient in an ambulance at night, we don’t know when we’ll get back. Some cases involve transferring patients from distant hospitals, which means we arrive back late at night with no safe place to stay,” she said.
She also highlighted that junior health workers do not receive transportation facilities for such late-night duties.
“In X-ray rooms, female technicians work alone all night. The doors don’t even have proper locks. Many hospital corridors are poorly lit, and it takes forever to turn on a light,” she pointed out.
She also revealed that some hospitals lack separate toilets for male and female staff, leaving female workers in unsafe conditions.
‘A Sign of How Dangerous a Country We Live In’
At an event at the Athuraliya Divisional Secretariat on March 12, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Paulraj commented on the Anuradhapura Hospital incident.
“If **a doctor—a high-ranking civil servant—faces such risks, what does that mean for ordinary women and children? This is a sign of how unsafe this country has become,” she said.
She emphasized that it is the government’s duty to ensure swift justice for victims of such crimes.
“There is no country without crime, but crimes must be minimized. Those that occur must never be repeated. Justice should be swift for victims,” she added.
‘Hospital Safety Is the Responsibility of the Administration’
On March 12, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) called for an island-wide strike, demanding stronger security measures for doctors and healthcare staff. The GMOA and Sri Lanka Medical Association formally requested Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa to ensure the safety of healthcare personnel.
Minister Nalinda Jayatissa visited Anuradhapura Hospital on March 12 to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MP D.V. Chanaka raised hospital security concerns in Parliament.
Responding to the discussion, Health Minister Jayatissa stated that ensuring hospital safety is the responsibility of the hospital administration and announced an investigation into whether the hospital authorities had failed in their duties.
SOURCE :- BBC SINHALA
