A total of 4,642 Sri Lankan healthcare professionals have migrated to foreign countries between 2022 and 2025, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said.
Addressing the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, the Minister expressed serious concern over the continuing outflow of trained medical personnel, warning that such migration has inflicted a significant financial loss on the country.
According to the Minister, the breakdown of migration during this period includes 726 consultants, 2,800 nursing officers, and 1,116 medical officers.
He noted that Sri Lanka invests substantial public funds into the education and training of these professionals, and their departure represents not only a loss of talent but also a considerable economic setback.
“The loss of skilled health professionals translates directly into a loss of public investment. These migrations undermine our national healthcare system and strain public resources,” Dr. Jayatiss said.
He noted that destination countries benefitting from this migration must bear greater responsibility and accountability in this regard and called for the strengthened and effective implementation of the World Health Organization’s Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel, urging ethical recruitment practices that do not disproportionately affect health systems in developing countries.
“Countries that receive our health workers must acknowledge the implications of this trend and act in a spirit of global cooperation,” he added.
Dr. Jayatissa highlighted that Sri Lanka’s outpatient department visits are three times the size of its population, underscoring the urgent need to prevent the bypassing of primary health institutions which has become a key issue in the country’s healthcare delivery.
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