Health services gutted from departures of thousands of nurses
Apart from the exodus of physicians, Sri Lanka’s health sector is at a growing risk of losing qualified nurses.
General Secretary of the All Ceylon Nurses' Union H.M.S.B Mediwatte said the health sector needs 88,000 nurses as per the World Health Organization minimum requirement. However, the present number is just over 40,000.
"This year about 1,000 left for overseas opportunities, while another 350 senior nurses will retire. This situation is getting worse at provincial and rural hospitals. Hospitals that had about eight to 10 nurses are now having about two-three," he said.
He said the Healthy Ministry is yet to address the concerns of nurses and take measures to retain them. The union leader alleged that the ministry, in a desperate bid to address the future shortage, is to amend laws to get students in any Advanced Level stream to be trained as nurses.
“To enrol in nursing school one needs three passes in the A/L science stream. This will deteriorate the quality of nursing service," he said, adding that already there are about 495 allied health sciences graduates and 2019-2021 batches of students waiting to be selected for training.
Colombo National Hospital's chief nurse training officer Pushpa Ramyani Zoysa said at least 75,000 nurses are needed.
Ms. Zoysa who arrived on Friday after being named ‘Global Icon Awardee’ at the Global Economic Forum Summit in London this month, told the Sunday Times that the demand for qualified nurses is high in the United Kingdom.
"Some time ago about 5,000 nurses were absorbed at once, now they are all retiring. This will have a huge impact on the health sector," she said.
Health Ministry's Director of Nursing, M.B.C Samanmali said specialised nurses especially in pain management, critical care, ICU, psychiatry, public health, pediatric, dialysis are in high demand in many countries.
"There is a notable increase in requests for leave approvals. But it is concerning when some nurses leave the country without even informing, especially if hospitals are delaying their release," she said.
A senior matron nurse, speaking anonymously, said young nurses who have to travel to distant areas for a meagre salary are attending IELTS classes to apply for better paid opportunities in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Some are even seeking caregiver jobs in Singapore and West Asia.
Nursing officers in hospitals island-wide protested this week demanding authorities address their salary anomalies, transfer delays, and improved accommodation facilities.