TRANSFORMING & GLOBALIZING SUPERIOR HEALTHCARE EDUCATION OUT OF SRI LANKA

Rakshitha Tudawe, Managing Director of the Amrak Institute of Medical Sciences, and Ranga Wimalasuriya, its Executive Director, discuss their vision for transforming the Sri Lankan healthcare sector.

Amrak is on a mission to empower Sri Lanka’s healthcare professionals and position the country as a source of highly skilled allied healthcare professionals in the global economy. With the demand for allied health professionals set to soar to 15 million by 2030, Amrak is focused on building capacity and increasing access to allied healthcare education. By reskilling and upskilling Sri Lanka’s labour force, Amrak is raising awareness of the local and global demand for these professionals. With 9% of Sri Lanka’s GDP coming from low-skilled employment in the Middle East, Amrak is determined to reshape the country’s labour force and create a brighter future for more Sri Lankans. Its global focus would also help improve healthcare services in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s public healthcare sector is grappling with resource constraints, including financial limitations, infrastructural issues, and a shortage of trained medical personnel, prticularly doctors and clinical support staff. Another pressing concern is Sri Lanka’s ageing population, which is vulnerable to tropical outbreaks such as dengue, as well as other tropical-based viruses and fevers, including the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

To address these challenges and foster global healthcare best practices and standards in Sri Lanka, the Amrak Institute of Medical Sciences was established to promote skill development in healthcare, including nursing, biomedical science, and technical roles like cardiac technicians. Leveraging Sri Lanka’s human capital, Amrak aims to position the country as a provider of quality healthcare and a hub for skilled healthcare professionals for the world.

How is Amrak making a difference in the healthcare sector?

At Amrak, our efforts focus on challenging and transforming traditional norms and perceptions about these professions, even among those who attend international schools. Our goal is to garner respect for the invaluable contribution by healthcare professionals and cultivate a skilled workforce that can drive Sri Lanka’s progress as a healthcare provider and a hub for human capital in healthcare.

In Sri Lanka, the labour force has not changed much since the 80s and 90s, with little social mobility and the export of blue-collar workers to the Middle East. To address this, there is a need for reskilling, upskilling, and reshaping the labour force, particularly in the healthcare sector, where 15 million jobs will be needed by 2030. While medical tourism is often discussed, Sri Lanka does not receive a significant number of medical tourists. To position itself as a medical tourism destination, the country needs to improve healthcare workers’ proficiency in English and provide high-quality service to international clients. Repositioning medical tourism with a focus on post-surgical care rehabilitation could be a game-changer, given the ageing population in Sri Lanka.

In addition, there is significant demand for higher education, with a total addressable market of 250,000 to 300,000 students seeking higher education. However, there is a disconnect between the competency standards required by the industry and the syllabus taught in academic institutions. To bridge this gap, an innovative approach to education, ‘Education 4.0’ has been adopted, including using virtual reality to teach human anatomy and incorporating gamification in nursing.

Amrak Institute of Medical Sciences aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to become competent health professionals anywhere in the world. They strive to address the demand for higher education and deliver innovative and high-quality academic programmes, including investing in hightech biomedical labs and promoting student-led classrooms and international collaborations. The goal is to reposition Sri Lanka in the international arena through strategic initiatives.

Why should young people enroll in your healthcare courses?

By 2030, the most in-demand jobs are projected to be in the healthcare industry, with roles such as nursing, paramedics, caregivers, data analysts in healthcare, and medical administrators topping the list. Unlike jobs in fields like marketing and accounting, which are impacted by changes brought about by blockchain technology, healthcare jobs require unique skills such as hands-on patient care and empathy that cannot be easily replaced by automation.

Amrak has exclusive agreements with multiple NHS trusts, immersing students in the healthcare ecosystem from the first semester itself. We are backed by Durdans Hospital, a leading private hospital in Sri Lanka and our students can interact and learn from inspiring professionals such as professors, specialists, and doctors. This exposure and motivation further encourage students to pursue rewarding careers in healthcare.

Right now, Amrak has a student enrolment of over 500, and within our core courses, approximately 12% of our entire student population benefits from subsidized education schemes. Our model is driven by a profit-for-purpose approach, with a strong focus on the impact of AMRAC. Our goal is to increase the percentage of students on subsidized education to 25% by the end of 2024.

We are committed to supporting our community in various ways, including providing laptops, study materials, and pro bono or free-of-charge scholarships to deserving students. Our emphasis is on promoting dialogue, awareness, and education on healthcare within our community.

What is your long-term vision for Amrak?

Amrak aims to build bridges across the globe to establish itself as a global healthcare provider. Alongside technological advancements, Amrak is leveraging its tech arm to develop a recruitment website, streamlining the process of hiring nurses and healthcare professionals. This comprehensive ecosystem will position us as a provider of certified healthcare professionals.

Amrak envisions being regionally active in the allied health education space focusing on local efforts in Sri Lanka and transnational education by attracting students and professionals from abroad. Currently, Amrak is collaborating with the Ministry of Health in Rwanda to facilitate nursing specialists’ internships in Sri Lanka for up to six months as part of continuous professional development. These short stints involve working in high-volume healthcare settings, studying tropical medicine, and engaging with local communities.

In addition to transnational education, Amrak is committed to increasing access to quality education in rural areas and underserved markets, going beyond urban areas to improve education accessibility in remote regions. We are also exploring opportunities to extend our services to neighbouring regions and developing countries. Discussions are underway with countries in Africa and Nepal seeking Amrak’s assistance in establishing allied science schools.