Sri Lanka has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend meaningful measures to arrest the mounting brain drain affecting the health sector in developing countries, official Daily News reported Wednesday.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva explained that developing countries such as Sri Lanka still witness many of their exceedingly talented, best qualified doctors and nurses taking wing to the developed world.

"This is a cause for serious concern," he said.

The Minister suggested the WHO work out some realistic arrangements for a more controlled flow of health personnel and also persuade the recipient countries to compensate this loss.

"WHO is in a better position to bring the countries together and negotiate such a covenant or a charter," he added.

Ministry sources said that there are nearly 60 such Government Medical Officers who have not returned home after training in health institutions in England and Australia.

Source: Xinhua