A contentious issue has emerged regarding the manner in which the Rajarata University Medical Faculty has acted in respect of the non-functioning of the ward of professorial unit of the pediatric ward of the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital
According to Ministry of Health sources, the reason for this situation is that the two pediatricians who were attached to the faculty unit of the hospital have gone overseas, leaving their duties to a junior pediatrician. However, the two medical specialists have failed to return to Sri Lanka as promised.
A senior official of the Ministry of Health who spoke to Lankasara said paediatricians Dr Janith Chandrakumara and Shammi Ratnasiri, who were attached to the professorial unit in addition to being medical faculty lecturers, had agreed to cover each other’s duties and received the approval to go overseas.
Professor Devan Mendis and Professor Arambepola, two retired professors of the Peradeniya Faculty of Medicine, have been recruited to the unit, in addition to the junior paediatrician attached to this unit.
Out of the two retired professors, one had to take three months’ leave, and the other had to take leave for treatment due to an emergency illness. The junior specialist left in the ward is also billed to go for her mandatory training overseas.
A senior official of the Ministry of Health told us that the Faculty of Medicine did not act responsibly when releasing Dr Janaka Chandrakumara and Dr Shammi Ratnasiri.
The ministry official alleged that when it comes to the medical profession, they swear an oath about accountability and responsibility for the patient’s welfare, and accordingly, these doctors have acted by ignoring the accountability and responsibility for the patient’s care.
It is stated that the two paediatricians have decided not to return to Sri Lanka at the end of their overseas leave, even though they went abroad on the promise of returning to their duties at the end of their overseas leave.
Due to this, the work of the hospital has slowed down, and the doctor who took over to cover the duties has also delayed her mandatory training for a considerable period.
Dr Janaka Pushpakumara, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Rajarata University, was also asked about this, and he said that the rumor that these two specialist doctors went abroad stating that they were doing each other’s duties was false.
However, on the promise that these doctors would return after completing their training, they were given permission to travel abroad.
He said that a female doctor has agreed to cover their duties during their absence and that this decision was taken not by himself but after consultation with the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Medicine.
