Speaking at the Non Aligned Health Ministers’ conference convened in Geneva by the Cuban government, Sri Lankan health Minister, Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva expressed unequivocal support to the draft NAM Declaration on Migration of Health personal and training.

Mr. De. Silva further stated that Sri Lanka being one of the founder members of  NAM  he is happy to support this draft as well as the resolutions before the Health Assembly in this regard. Touching on the Sri Lankan experience, the Minister stated that several consultants who were produced at the public expense in Sri lanka have left the country looking for greener pastures. Out of 63 mental consultants produced in the country only 16 remained in Sri lanka. He questioned how the developing countries could achieve millennium development goals in a situation when there are such wide gaps exist in certain vital areas. Developing countries with several financial constraints imposed upon them by many circumstances beyond their control, have to invest enormous amounts of their country resources to train health personnel.

There is no scheme still in operation to pay any kind of compensation to such countries by the recipient countries even though they benefit to a greater extend at the expense of developing countries. This is really an academic subsidy to these countries from the developing countries. This injustice can only be redressed by establishing a code of practice or an International Charter on migration of health personnel. Even though this issue has been addressed within the WHO and ILO on several occasions no fruitful mechanism has yet been established. The Minister urged the members of the Non Aligned Movement to strongly rally round and speak in one voice regarding this issue to ensure that international code of practice on the migration of health workers could be established soon.

While thanking Cuba for convening this important meeting the Minister expressed his solidarity for organizing a meeting of the non aligned group every year to discuss the current health issues that are primarily affecting the member countries of the Non Aligned Movement.