The Embilipitiya District General Hospital in Hambantota is facing a major setback as life-saving surgeries, including caesarean operations, have come to a halt due to the sudden departure of the hospital's only consultant anaesthetist.
Dr. Udayanthi Nanayakkara, the consultant in question, has not reported for duty since last Friday, and attempts to contact her have been unsuccessful.
According to a reliable source, the hospital management received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number on Monday. The message, presented as a letter, informed them that Dr. Nanayakkara would not be returning to work. It was later discovered that the message had been sent by the consultant's parents.
Despite efforts to reach out to them for further information, the parents did not provide any specific details, leaving it unclear whether Dr. Nanayakkara had left the country.
As a result of this unexpected development, the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) operations have been brought to a halt.
Besides, patients in need of surgeries such as caesarean sections and complicated procedures are being redirected to Teaching Hospitals Ratnapura and Karapitiya due to the unavailability of a consultant anaesthetist.
The hospital management has also promptly informed the Health Ministry about the situation, but no response has been received thus far.
