Sri Lanka, Oct. 1 -- Dr. Prasad Kolombage, Executive Committee Member of the Government Medical Officers' Association today (03) clarified that the doctors' car pass is not a status symbol but a necessity introduced to ensure uninterrupted patient care.

Speaking at a press briefing, he said the permit to identify a doctor's vehicle was officially approved through a gazette notification in 2016. The pass was issued because doctors are often required to report to hospitals urgently, while the government has not provided transport facilities or on-call rooms. As a result, doctors must use their private vehicles, and the red car pass was introduced to address this need.

Dr. Colombage noted that although different categories of people may be...