Bypass heart surgeries are on hold for several weeks at Jayewardenepura Hospital, said Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, the head of the collective of doctors’ trade union for medical and civil rights.
He said the two senior technicians in charge of activating the cardiovascular machine during surgeries have retired upon reaching 60 years of age, and the hospital’s director board is awaiting cabinet approval to obtain their services again.
Doctors are reluctant to obtain the services of three junior technicians presently on service, said Dr. Sanjeewa.
It is a grave injustice to nearly 10,000 patients on the waiting list for surgery, since private hospitals charge around Rs. two million for a bypass surgery, he noted.
Neurosurgeries had not taken place either for around a year after neurosurgeons have withdrawn from surgeries following the arrest of a colleague by the Bribery Commission.
Dr. Sanjeewa urged the government to intervene and resolve the issues immediately.
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