• Cite post-grad qualifications, training, Board certification, clinical and non-clinical duties, added responsibility, some not engaging in pvt. practice  

The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) organisation has urged the Government to separate the Specialist Medical Service from the Grade Medical Officers’ (MOs) Service without delay, saying that medical specialists need clear administrative recognition and a pay structure that reflects postgraduate qualifications, added responsibility, and training.

In a statement, the AMS stated that specialists are registered separately with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) but continue to function within the same service framework as Grade MOs. It added this system has weakened incentives to specialise and limited the State’s ability to reward specialists fairly, especially those without private practice.

Referring to the separation of academic and non-academic services in Sri Lankan universities in the late 1990s, the AMS stated that experience showed the value of distinct services based on qualifications and duties. "Before that change, university registrars and professors were paid on similar scales, meaning that any benefit given to academics extended to non-academic staff as well. Governments then found it difficult to offer academics compensation that matched their postgraduate qualifications and academic workload. After the separation, academic salaries rose significantly."

The AMS further stated that the same principle applies to the medical sector as specialists undergo years of postgraduate education, examinations, and overseas training, and accept continuous clinical and legal responsibility for patients under their care. "Consultants remain accountable at all times, a burden that does not end with working hours. This level of responsibility, together with the delayed earning capacity, needs proper recognition through service conditions and remuneration," it added, and noted that many specialists serving in peripheral hospitals or full-time public sector roles do not have access to private practice and depend entirely on Government salaries.

The AMS also listed key reasons for a separate Specialist Medical Service, including the recognition of specialist qualifications, the acknowledgment of the effort required to reach Board certification, the recognition of clinical and non-clinical duties after certification, and administrative recognition in addition to the existing SLMC registration. The proposed separation, the AMS added, would allow an exclusive service minute and a dedicated salary structure for specialists, alongside a clearer and fairer framework for Grade MOs.

Multiple attempts to contact the Deputy Health Minister, Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, and the Health Ministry Secretary, Dr. Anil Jasinghe proved futile.