– Over 10,000 patients are currently on waiting lists for heart surgeries in government hospitals, while the soaring cost of private sector treatment has made lifesaving procedures unaffordable for many Sri Lankans, according to the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance.

Alliance Chairman Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said the basic cost of bypass surgeries and stent procedures at private hospitals has now exceeded Rs. 1.5 million, with the total expense increasing further depending on the duration of hospitalization and intensive care treatment.He said nearly 10,000 patients are awaiting heart surgeries and related diagnostic tests at major state hospitals including the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Teaching Hospital Kandy, Teaching Hospital Anuradhapura, Teaching Hospital Jaffna, Teaching Hospital Batticaloa and the Teaching Hospital Karapitiya.

Dr. Sanjeewa alleged that some patients have been forced to wait up to 29 months for surgeries, leaving many in distress and uncertainty.

He further claimed that although the President’s Fund had announced financial assistance for heart surgeries, there has been little evidence of such support being implemented in practice.

He also said that the absence of an effective national health insurance system has placed an additional burden on the public, especially those seeking treatment in the private healthcare sector.

Dr. Sanjeewa said shortages of essential surgical equipment in certain government hospitals and the need for patients to obtain some laboratory tests from private institutions have further worsened the difficulties faced by low-income patients seeking cardiac treatment.