The country's health force

Here is a look at the health force as at December 2021 through Health Ministry data and a projection of what Sri Lanka would need in 2030 by Prof. Dileep De Silva

Health force in December 2021:

23,039 doctors were employed by the Line Ministry (Health Ministry) and Provincial Councils.

It was estimated that about 1,500 doctors were engaged in full-time practice in the private sector, either as fulltime general medical practitioners or as full-time hospital employees. The defence establishment had about 320 medical practitioners, while the university system had about 760 medical academics on its permanent cadre. Therefore, the total number of doctors working in Sri Lanka was around 25,584.

An expert opinion survey in December 2022, covering all strata of government hospitals, revealed that most hospital directors/medical superintendents were satisfied with the number of medical doctors in their hospitals. However, all observed severe maldistribution in some hospitals and regions.

Health force projection for 2030:

Sri Lanka’s total population is expected to increase modestly to 22.2 million by 2038, before beginning to decline. Assuming that there would be no significant change in population size or distribution by 2030, the size and distribution of the health workforce requirements in 2030 (to meet the WHO threshold) would be around 97,000, with about 35% or 34,000, being physicians. This works out to around 1.55 physicians per 1,000 population. As the Sri Lankan economy grows and its population ages, the higher education system of Sri Lanka should work towards a target of 2 physicians per 1,000 population by 2040.