Sri Lanka, Nov. 24 -- Nearly 5,000 patients are currently on the waiting list for heart surgery at the Colombo National Hospital, and some may have to wait up to four years for their operation, Chairman of the Doctors' Trade Union Alliance for Medical and Civil Rights Chairman Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa said.

He said this information comes from data obtained under the Right to Information Act (RTI). Five of the heart surgery wards at the hospital have 600, 756, 2,400, 400, and 761 patients on their waiting lists, with surgery dates expected to take up to four years.

He warned that many of these patients come from low-income families and cannot afford private hospitals, where a heart surgery can cost at least Rs. 2 million. "The risk of patient...