Patients visiting Colombo National Hospital for daily clinic treatments are increasingly facing difficulties due to growing administrative inefficiencies within the hospital, according to numerous complaints.
One major concern raised by patients is the delay in taking blood samples for medical tests. Many patients, after fasting for 12 hours as required, experience a further two to three-hour wait before their blood is drawn. This delay, they say, could affect the accuracy of their medical reports, particularly since the health officials responsible for collecting the samples often arrive late.
In addition, heart patients attending the clinic have noted that although doctors begin examining patients promptly at 7:30 a.m., there is a significant delay in scheduling return appointments and dispensing medications. While the pharmacy opens one window at 8:30 a.m., patients report that there are five additional windows that remain closed, as pharmacists arrive late and fail to open them on time. These windows are reportedly covered with cardboard during the delay.
Staff shortages in the hospital’s telephone services have also persisted for six years without resolution. The hospital has 50 telephone extensions and over 2,500 internal connections, yet only six staff members are employed, though 18 are required to manage the system.
Hospital staff also revealed that no action has been taken to fill these vacancies, which have remained open for the past six years, despite repeated calls for attention from health authorities.
When contacted, a senior official at Colombo National Hospital said the matter would be reviewed and a report submitted to the Ministry of Health.
