News
One of the most cost-effective health systems in crisis owing to corruption, nepotism, cronyism, bungling
Corruption, nepotism, cronyism and mismanagement were the reasons why Sri Lanka’s health system is in crisis, Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH), Prof. Indika Karunathilake said recently at a televised dicussion.
“This happens at all levels. The system has failed. There are multiple checks and balances in the system to ensure that if something goes wrong at one level, it can be identified and rectified at another. But when these checks and balances are gone, the system collapses. This is what we are seeing now,” he said.
Prof. Karunathilake added a large number of health staffers had been compelled to leave the country, as well.
The Sri Lankan healthcare system is known as one of the most cost-effective systems in the world, Consultant Pediatrician Dr. Ajith Amarasinghe, who also appeared at the discussion, said. Sri Lanka’s per capita expenditure on healthcare is about 400 U.S. dollars a year, he added.
“In the UK, per capita expenditure on healthcare is about USD 4,000 a year. In the U.S its 9,000 dollars. However, Sri Lankan healthcare indices are comparable to the above mentioned developed countries. This excellent system is now facing a crisis. This crisis is not purely due to the economic crisis. The 2023 health budget is double that of 2021 in rupee terms. Even if you take depreciation, the spending has not declined. So, there is no reason for a shortage of drugs or equipment to occur.”
Dr. Amarasinghe said there is also a problem with the quality of drugs distributed in the government and private hospitals.
“The reputation of our system has been tarnished in a very short period of time. How did this happen and who is responsible? People who were in charge of the system in the past few years are responsible. Former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and his team are responsible. The Minister has been removed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Professional Forum of Physicians on Medical and Civil Rights Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said the achievements of the past with regards to health are being dismantled. The meternity mortality, the various indices of the health of children under five, etc., are showing a deterioration, he said.
President-Elect, Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said the current crisis in the health system is unprecedented.
Dr. Thenuwan Wickramasinghe of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said patients coming into government hospitals have increased by 40 percent. This is because they can’t afford private healthcare.
“The healthcare system still survives because of the human capital,” he said.
The Labour Ministry has rejected the interpretation that Sri Lanka currently ranks 120th globally in terms of minimum wages, saying the ranking was based on 2024 data and does not reflect subsequent increases in the country’s minimum wage.
The Ministry said the comparison, published by Visual Capitalist, was not an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report. The ILO has confirmed that it was not involved in preparing or publishing the ranking, according to the Ministry.
The ILO has indicated that the comparison may have drawn data from ILOSTAT, its publicly available database of internationally comparable labour statistics. The Ministry noted that purchasing power parity (PPP) adjustments can facilitate international comparisons but cautioned that such rankings should be interpreted carefully, as minimum-wage systems differ in their geographical, sectoral and occupational coverage.
Sri Lanka’s national minimum wage stood at Rs. 12,500 a month at the beginning of 2024 and was increased to Rs. 17,500 from September 11 that year. Workers were also entitled to a mandatory Budgetary Relief Allowance of Rs. 3,500, bringing total minimum monthly remuneration to Rs. 21,000.
The Ministry said it was unclear whether the 2024 comparison had used the old or revised minimum wage and whether the allowance had been included. It stressed that the minimum wage has since been raised to Rs. 27,000, from April 2025, and Rs.,30,000, from January 2026, with the previous allowances incorporated into the new wage.
The Ministry said the current minimum wage is, therefore, more than 87% higher than at the beginning of 2024 and urged that the reported 120th ranking not be interpreted as a reflection of Sri Lanka’s current wage levels.
By SK Samaranayake
Two inmates, serving prison sentences at the Pallekele Open Prison Camp in Kundasale, escaped from the facility, on Saturday, police said.
The escapees were identified as a 53-year-old man from Negombo, who was serving a sentence for cannabis trafficking, and a 38-year-old man from Parakumpura, in Kahatagasdigiliya, who was serving a sentence for housebreaking and theft, according to the Kandy Police Headquarters.
Officials of the Pallekele Open Prison Camp reported the escape to police, prompting an investigation to locate and apprehend the two inmates.
The Pallekele Open Prison Camp falls within the Pallekele Police Division in Kandy.
The Kandy Police Headquarters, together with prison officials, is conducting further investigations into the escape and efforts are under way to trace the two men.
Police said further action would be taken following their apprehension.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka from September 8 to 10, India’s Ministry of Defence announced.
Singh is expected to hold discussions with Sri Lankan leaders on a range of bilateral and regional issues during his visit and will also interact with members of the Indian community in Colombo.
He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from India’s Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs.
According to the Indian Defence Ministry, the visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral defence ties, with particular emphasis on maritime security and defence cooperation.
New Delhi described its relationship with Sri Lanka as being rooted in longstanding civilisational ties and encompassing cooperation in regional security, defence, trade and economic affairs, as well as strong people-to-people links.
The ministry also highlighted India’s assistance to Sri Lanka during its recent economic crisis and its support following Cyclone Ditwah in 2025 as examples of its “Neighbourhood First” policy.
Singh’s visit comes amid efforts by India and Sri Lanka to further expand their defence and maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, where both countries share longstanding security interests.
The visit is expected to provide an opportunity for the two sides to review existing defence cooperation and discuss avenues for closer collaboration on regional maritime security.
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