Reports indicate that newly qualified doctors who have met all the required qualifications are increasingly at risk of joining the ranks of unemployed graduates, as nearly 5,000 applicants remain on the waiting list for government internship appointments.

Consultant Dr Chamal Sanjeewa stated that newly graduated doctors in Sri Lanka are facing uncertainty over securing permanent appointments because medical staffing positions have not been approved in line with the evolving needs of the modern healthcare system.He said that although numerous new specialist services have been introduced into the country’s healthcare system, the failure to implement appropriate human resource management and obtain the necessary staffing approvals has contributed to the crisis. As a result, the Ministry of Health has been unable to reflect the actual shortage of personnel within the healthcare system.Dr Sanjeewa further noted that, while official circulars indicate there is no shortage of doctors, the reality of healthcare delivery tells a different story. Regional hospitals, rural hospitals, estate hospitals, Medical Officer of Health (MOH) offices, other primary healthcare institutions, and even teaching hospitals continue to face severe shortages of medical officers.