Thousands of unregistered individuals — including some Western nationals — are posing as medical officers and providing treatment across Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions in Sri Lanka, the Chairman of the Doctors' Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, has warned.
Dr. Sanjeewa said many of these individuals are not registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) or the Ayurvedic Medical Council. Among them are unregistered Ayurvedic practitioners, health assistants, medical students, pharmacists, non-medical spouses of doctors, and individuals with no formal medical training.
He said private medical centres run by first-aid workers and unqualified persons operate widely across the island, including in major cities. He also noted that several abortion centres are being run by these so-called “doctors”.
Despite the ease with which local health officials could raid these illegal centres, Dr. Sanjeewa said many are reluctant to act because the government has not carried out inspections of private practice by state-sector doctors in recent years. This has contributed to a lack of enforcement and the continued growth of unregulated medical services.
These fake practitioners often use unregistered medicines and illegal treatment methods, which fall outside the SLMC’s regulatory framework. The Government Medical Officers' Association has previously estimated that nearly 50,000 unqualified individuals may be practising as doctors across the country.
Dr. Sanjeewa said regulation of private hospitals and medical centres has “collapsed” and called on authorities to take urgent action to address the situation.
