About 100 rural hospitals are on the verge of closing down due to the lack of doctors, representatives of the Government Medical Officers had said in a meeting with Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana.
A committee under the Director General of Health with members of the GMOA was appointed to look into the matter, according to a statement from the state information office.
Most of the hospitals which were in danger of closing were in the Northern Province, Puttalam and Nuwara Eliya, the statement said.
The problem came from doctors going abroad, retiring, getting transfers or leaving the service.
Instructions were given by Minister Pathirana to immediately appoint doctors to the hospitals.
Steps would be taken to re-open about 40 hospitals that were closed, the statement said.