During a parliamentary session on the 7th, Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana announced a proposal to elevate the retirement age for select healthcare personnel, including nursing staff, to 61 years.
This revelation came in response to a query posed by MP Gamini Waleboda regarding the status of retirement age policies within the healthcare sector.
MP Waleboda highlighted a discrepancy between decision-making and implementation, citing an earlier decision to extend the retirement age to 63 years which had not been enforced. He emphasized the resultant operational challenges, citing an instance where the principal of the Nurses’ Training School in Ratnapura retired without a successor, leading to administrative disarray.
Responding to these concerns, Minister Pathirana acknowledged a pending court case concerning the retirement age issue. He confirmed the submission of a Cabinet paper advocating for an increase in retirement age to 61 years, dispelling any speculation of further extensions beyond this threshold.
In parallel efforts to address workforce gaps, Minister Pathirana disclosed plans to recruit approximately 3,000 new nurses, with interviews already concluded. Currently, the nursing service accommodates 45,000 personnel, leaving roughly 1,000 vacancies yet to be filled.
