Jasinghe’s sudden exit as DGHS raises eyebrows: No word on successor yet

BY SURESH PERERA

The out-of-the-blue exit of Dr. Anil Jasinghe as the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) has left Sri Lanka’s top-most medical administrative position vacant at a critical time concerted Covid-19 preventive measures are in place to thwart a possible second wave of the dreaded disease, officials said.

The unexpected move to foist Jasinghe, a seasoned medical administrator, as Secretary to the Environment Ministry, has raised eyebrows particularly in the backdrop of the full-blown campaign he spearheaded to keep the nation safe during the dark days of the near two-month lockdown.

“Jasinghe has been kicked upstairs”, health officials chuckled.

“What can a top-notch Specialist Consultant cum medical administrator, who has proven his mettle as the power behind the anti Covid-19 thrust, do in the midst of environmentalists?”, they asked.

It is true that being appointed Secretary to a Ministry translates into a promotion, but a senior medical administrator should have been considered for a job where his expertise and professionalism could have made a meaningful contribution especially at a time the country is facing a grave health crisis, they noted.

It is being whispered in the Health Ministry’s corridors that Jasinghe’s spectacular rise as the ‘man of the match’ during the height of the corona pandemic didn’t go down well amongst those who believe in finding ways of not doing what should be done, officials asserted.

Jasinghe, who served as the director of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital and the National Hospital of Sri Lanka at one time, was instrumental in establishing the Trauma Secretariat under the Ministry of Health and became its Founder Head. The formation of the Secretariat paved the way for a systematic approach in management of trauma.

The next-in-line for the top DGHS slot is Dr. Amal Harsha De Silva, a Specialist Consultant, who is the senior-most medical administrator with 35 years plus in the service.

However, as De Silva has still not been named as the successor even a week after Jasinghe’s exit, there is speculation that another aspirant is being earmarked for the top job, the officials claimed.

De Silva, who now serves as a senior Deputy Director General of Health (DDG), has the distinction of initially working in hospitals in the periphery and later serving as Provincial Director and Regional Director in the health service.

“His wide exposure as a medical administrator remains unparalleled, but the million dollar question is whether he will be given what he deserves”, the officials said.