• Sharp shortfalls seen among Consultant Anaesthetists/Gen. Physicians/Gen. Surgeons

A Right to Information (RTI) response has revealed a significant shortage of medical specialists in Sri Lanka, with only 2,042 specialists serving in the country by May of this year, far below the approved cadre of 3,181.

According to figures provided by the Tertiary Care Services Director at the Health Ministry, Dr. Priyantha Atapattu, 24 medical specialists had migrated between April of last year (2024) and April 2025. The data show sharp shortfalls across several key specialties.

By May 2025, the number of Consultant Anaesthetists serving in the country stood at 138 against an approved cadre of 310. There were 213 Consultant General Physicians in service out of the 376 required, and only 140 Consultant General Surgeons compared to the 230 positions approved. The number of Consultant Judicial Medical Officers (JMOs) was 41 against an approved 64, while only 131 Consultant Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (OBGYNs) were serving, out of the 226 approved. The country had only 47 Consultant Ophthalmologists out of 106 positions and 137 Consultant Paediatricians out of 225. The cadre for Consultant Paediatric Cardiologists was seven, with six in service by May 2025.

The information was released in response to an RTI request filed by the Medical and Civil Rights Professionals’ Association.

Meanwhile, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) recently welcomed Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa’s call for Sri Lankan medical specialists who have migrated to return, but cautioned that the Government must first address the hardships faced by those still serving in the country. AMS President Dr. Rasika Gunapala said that the shortage of around 1,200 specialists cannot be solved unless the root causes of the ongoing brain drain are tackled. He said that many specialists deployed to peripheral hospitals face severe difficulties, including the lack of official accommodation, challenges in securing schools for their children, and the withdrawal of vehicle duty concessions. He added that junior specialists earn a basic salary of about Rs. 156,000, reaching around Rs. 280,000 with allowances, while paying 36% of their income in taxes.