Patients at the Colombo National Hospital are facing severe difficulties due to the inability of the hospital authorities to operate the newly established orthopedic, kidney, neurological, psychiatric, intestinal and gastrointestinal treatment units, hospital sources said.
A hospital spokesman said the treatment units could not be operated as more than 500 doctors are now due to leave the hospital as transfers of doctors that had halted for 10 years had suddenly been imposed.
Generally, transfers of doctors often occur every four years, with a maximum of 100 to 120 transfers annually.
However, he emphasized that the vacancies will only be filled by January next year.
