Over 10,000 patients are currently waiting for heart surgeries in Sri Lanka’s government hospitals, as rising treatment costs in the private sector place lifesaving procedures beyond the reach of many, according to the Medical and Civil Rights Doctors’ Trade Union Alliance.
Alliance Chairman Chamal Sanjeewa said that the cost of bypass surgeries and stent procedures in private hospitals has now exceeded Rs. 1.5 million, with overall expenses increasing further depending on intensive care and hospital stay.
He noted that nearly 10,000 patients are awaiting cardiac surgeries and related diagnostic procedures across major state hospitals, including the National Hospital of Sri Lanka and several teaching hospitals in Kandy, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Batticaloa, and Karapitiya.
Dr. Sanjeewa alleged that some patients have been forced to wait up to 29 months for surgery, leaving them in prolonged distress and uncertainty.
He further claimed that although the President’s Fund has announced financial assistance for heart surgeries, there is little evidence that such support has been effectively implemented.
He also pointed out that the lack of a comprehensive national health insurance scheme has placed an additional financial burden on patients, particularly those seeking treatment in the private healthcare system.
Dr. Sanjeewa added that shortages of essential surgical equipment in some government hospitals, along with the need for patients to obtain laboratory tests from private facilities, have further worsened the situation for low-income cardiac patients.
