Sri Lanka, Nov. 4 -- Billions of rupees of taxpayers' money have gone down the drain as hundreds of government doctors have deserted their posts and forfeited their foreign training opportunities.

This was disclosed in a special audit report. The report observed a significant surge in doctors quitting government service, many heading abroad or pursuing postgraduate studies, without settling their financial obligations.

This was much prevalent during the period from 2020 to 2022.

Medical doctors in Sri Lanka began leaving the country due to a range of factors, including low pay, higher taxes, limited career opportunities, poor working conditions, limited resources, equipment, and staff in hospitals, political instability, and insufficie...