Presidential candidate Dilith Jayaweera, representing the ‘Sarvajana Balaya’ alliance, met with the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) today (27th August) to address pressing issues in Sri Lanka’s health sector, particularly the growing brain drain. The GMOA highlighted that despite ongoing warnings, the authorities have yet to offer effective solutions to this critical problem.
Jayaweera acknowledged the severity of the brain drain, stressing that it reflects a broader issue of inadequate human capital and human resources management in Sri Lanka. He pointed out the absence of a comprehensive government strategy to manage human resources, emphasizing the need to separate combined services based on their unique characteristics rather than treating them uniformly.
“It is essential for Sri Lanka to develop such a strategy. The public service is a combination of dissimilarities brought together by considering a very few similarities,” Jayaweera remarked.
He further underlined the importance of prioritizing the health and well-being of the population to create a ‘Happy Nation.’ Jayaweera proposed increased investment in the health sector and better support for doctors to maintain a healthy nation. He announced plans to include necessary proposals to address these issues in his National Strategic Program, which he intends to submit on August 31.
Following the discussion, GMOA Secretary Dr. Prabhath Sugathapala praised Jayaweera for his insightful understanding of the health sector’s challenges. He noted that among the seven presidential candidates the GMOA had met, Jayaweera stood out for his grasp of the issues and his alignment with the solutions proposed by the GMOA. Dr. Sugathapala expressed satisfaction with Jayaweera’s approach, highlighting it as a unique and promising aspect of his candidacy.
