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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Thursday, 7 August 2025

10th Parliament· 21 debates· 208 speeches· 68 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1755509552009433 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  11. 11 Oral question Oral Question: Specialist Doctors' Services in Sri Lanka (Q.10/2025) 6 speeches
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nishantha Samaraweera JJB

      AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nishantha Samaraweera asked the Minister of Health and Mass Media to provide detailed data on specialist medical services in Sri Lanka, including the number of specialties, specialists in each category, hospital vacancies, and losses from retirement, resignation, overseas leave, death, or vacating posts from 2020 to 2024. He also sought information on specialist training and selection numbers, age profiles of specialists, the number of hospitals requiring specialist services, reasons for insufficient output from postgraduate training institutions and colleges, and whether corrective measures will be taken.

      Healthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB

      AI summary In response to a question on specialist medical services, the Minister stated that Sri Lanka has 72 specialist services with an approved cadre of 3,181, of whom 2,042 are serving, leaving 1,139 vacancies across 134 hospitals. He provided figures on losses from the specialist cadre during 2020-2024, including 82 vacation-of-post notices, 7 resignations, 57 permanent releases, 191 no-pay leave cases and 233 retirements, as well as annual selections for specialist training and age profiles. He said PGIM admissions and board certification follow merit-based entrance, local and foreign training, and assessment processes, while shortages are linked to competitive entry, limited training capacity and pass rates, and added that steps are being taken with PGIM and professional colleges to expand capacity and streamline training.

      Healthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nishantha Samaraweera JJB

      AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nishantha Samaraweera highlighted a 35 per cent staffing gap in the health sector, with 1,139 vacancies against an approved cadre of 3,181, noting that shortages are severe in some specialties. He asked what measures the Government is taking to ensure services are properly established and to maintain equitable, quality healthcare for all citizens.

      Healthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB

      AI summary Adequate specialist staffing was identified as a priority, with the return rate of doctors trained overseas said to have improved from about 40 per cent in September 2024 to around 65–70 per cent. Measures are being discussed with specialist associations to improve retention in peripheral and district hospitals, including salaries, allowances, transport, and facility upgrades. The cadre is also being revised upward, with continued efforts to retain existing specialists and produce new ones over time.

      HealthcareEmploymentPublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nishantha Samaraweera JJB

      AI summary Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera raised concerns that Senior Registrars briefly posted to provide specialist services often leave soon after for overseas training, causing service disruptions. He asked the Government to increase selections for specialist training through an agreed approach with the PGIM and relevant Colleges, and to create legal and procedural pathways for Sri Lankan doctors overseas who wish to return.

      EmploymentHealthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa JJB

      AI summary (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa said specialist cadre revisions are being carried out with the PGIM and relevant stakeholders, taking into account service needs and training output. He stated that barriers to recalling specialists who had left the country have been eased, some have already returned to fill gaps, and remaining issues are being addressed. He invited specialists abroad to return, saying the Government would assist with practical matters such as children’s schooling and transport according to postings to strengthen the health system and improve Sri Lanka’s Universal Health Coverage standing.

      HealthcareEmployment Full speech →