• Neonatology Ward at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Hospital in Peradeniya closed
• Kantale Base Hospital sans paediatrician, Prov. Gen. (Teaching) Hospital in Ratnapura to lose paediatrician to retirement

The Neonatology Ward (Special Care Baby Unit [SCBU]) of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialised Children’s Hospital in Peradeniya has been closed until further notice due to the unavailability of a Neonatologist/Paediatrician, while several other hospitals across the country are also facing shortages of paediatricians, The Daily Morning learnt.

A medical practitioner specialising in children and their diseases is identified as a paediatrician while those who specialise in caring for newborn babies, particularly those who are ill or born prematurely, are referred to as neonatologists.

In a memorandum dated 13 September, 2024, which was seen by The Daily Morning, the Director of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialised Children’s Hospital has informed all Consultants, Senior Medical Officers (MOs), and MOs of Ward Number Three that the Neonatology Ward of the Hospital would be closed until further notice due to the unavailability of a paediatrician/neonatologist. The memorandum further read that the matter had been brought to the notice of the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena and the other relevant authorities. 

The Hospital Director had also informed that all admissions internally and externally will be halted until a Senior Registrar (SR)/Consultant is appointed; that patients already in Ward Three will be taken care of by Consultant Paediatricians of the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E), an Intensivist (a physician who specialises in the care and treatment of patients in intensive care) and a Pulmonologist (a physician who specialises in diagnosing and treating diseases that affect the respiratory system) until discharged; that Out-Patient Department (OPD) admissions of neonates will be limited only to emergencies as decided by the MOs/the OPD and sent to the A&E; and that routine admission for the Otorhinolaryngology (diseases of the ears, nose and throat [ENT]), Ophthalmology (diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders), and Cardiology Units should not be admitted to Ward Three unless they are provided cover from the relevant Consultants.

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Branch Union at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialised Children’s Hospital has also informed the GMOA's main branch of the issue, and requested the Association to take immediate action to ensure that the Ward remains operational by advocating for the appointment of a new Consultant Neonatologist/Paediatrician. With the closure of the SCBU, the GMOA Branch stated that they are unable to provide extended care for the Surgical Units and the Cardiology Ward, adding that the same has created an unnecessary burden for the adjacent Hospitals (the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Kandy and the Teaching Hospital in Peradeniya).

Sources revealed to The Daily Morning that the Base Hospital (BH) in Kantale has also been operating without a paediatrician for the past two weeks. The paediatrician previously assigned to the Hospital has been transferred elsewhere, and their replacement has joined a university (the Ministry of Higher Education), leaving the Hospital without paediatric care. This has disrupted services for the past two weeks. Although the Hospital has childbirth facilities, newborns with any health complications, according to sources, are now required to be transferred to the District General Hospital (DGH) in Trincomalee, either before or after delivery. The sources stated that the Trincomalee DGH may also face challenges in managing the increased patient load due to transfers from several nearby hospitals.

The Daily Morning also learns that the Provincial General (Teaching) Hospital in Ratnapura is also set to experience difficulties in paediatric care due to the scheduled retirement of a paediatrician this week. The sources said that the Hospital currently has three paediatric wards, with one paediatrician assigned to each. Of them, one paediatrician, who has completed the age of 63 years, is scheduled to retire this week. According to sources, the paediatricians serving at the other two wards will hence find it difficult to oversee the ward which will be left without a paediatrician due to the workload of their own wards.

Minister of Health, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana and Dr. Gunawardena were not available for comment.