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Concerns mount over birthrate drop: Dr Shafi says “Blame the system, not me”
View(s):By Kapila Bandara
Sri Lanka’s majority has brought upon themselves the tragedy of a rapid decline in births, an experienced physician, who was vilified for thousands of ‘sterilisations’ and then cleared of charges, reminded his audience this week.
In 2019, Dr Shafi Shihabdeen, a senior house officer at Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, was threatened with death, intimidated, and later jailed due to the social pressure for allegedly ‘sterilising’ Sinhala Buddhist mothers.
Dr Shihabdeen recently spoke at the well-attended launch of ‘Ran Doni’ (literally a daughter worth gold), authored by Suranga Senanayake. The English title of the book - ‘Veil of Lies: A Daughter’s Quest to Uncover the Truth’. One leading character in the book is Dr Shafi Shihabdeen’s daughter, Fathima Zainab Shafi, a student, now a first-year medical student at Peradeniya University. She is pictured here in the background while Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Health and Media is seen in conversation at the gathering.
He was turned into a hate figure with claims of 7,000 Caesareans and 4,000 sterilisations while serving in the district.
This week, Dr Shihabdeen spoke at the popular Colombo book fair at the well-attended launch of ‘Ran Doni’ (literally a daughter worth gold), authored by Suranga Senanayake, the head of News 1st at the Sirasa TV network.
Published by MD Gunasena, the English title of the book is given as ‘Veil of Lies: A Daughter’s Quest to Uncover the Truth’. One leading character in the book is Dr Shafi Shihabdeen’s daughter, Fathima Zainab Shafi, a student, now a first-year medical student at Peradeniya University.
Media veteran Mr Senanayake has spent substantial days and hours weaving the terrifying tale of a Muslim family against whom women in Kurunegala in particular were provoked by the likes of monks and politicians, and also ‘Viyathmaga’ members, among others.
“I am not the one who sterilised,’’ Dr Shafi Shihabdeen said firmly, addressing a packed outdoor hall.
“With two VOGs (obstetricians and gynaecologists) at Kurunegala Teaching Hospital from 2015 to 2021 when I worked, we did nearly 1,200 deliveries a month. Caesareans are continuing. I’m still doing the same job. LRTs (ligation and resection of tubes, i.e., tubal ligation) are continuing. We now have four units, including a professorial unit. We have eight VOGs. But now the deliveries have dropped to 550 (a month), falling by 45% to 50%. You must think deeply about this.’’
He called on Sri Lankans to reverse the damage, pointing to a self-inflicted trend.
“Grade One admissions have dropped to between 50,000 and 100,000. As a person who cares about the country, I will predict that in 15 years the young population will be 500,000 fewer. How will we bridge this deficit?’’
And he insisted, “I am not the one who sterilised. It was the system (that was responsible).’’
He also reminded his audience of a personal titbit shared with him by a policeman as he served 40-plus days in a tiny, suffocating cell on the fourth floor of the Criminal Investigations Department after being arrested.
A policeman on a night shift had asked about him and had told the doctor that he and his teacher wife only had one seven-year-old because he cannot raise any more children.
He said racial politics had been stirred to cover up the incompetence of politicians and their blunders, noting that the system and the economy that had been propagated for so long were responsible for the population decline.
New census data supports his blunt argument.
The number of births has dropped to 220,761 in 2024 compared with 328,409 in 2018. That is a nearly 33% fall.
Some research suggests the population fluctuation could be temporary. A drop in birth rates, low fertility, a surge in emigration, and a high rate of deaths are among factors that weigh on population fluctuations.
New census data from the Department of Census and Statistics show an unprecedented fall in births from the period before the deadly coronavirus disease pandemic.
From the 2012 census to 2024, the population growth has dropped further to 0.5% (compared with 2.6% in the 1960s) while the population has increased slightly. The change in Jaffna, Ratnapura, and Kegalle is insignificant.
Dr Shahibdeen also recalled how President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had raised the allegations against him at the time and demanded an immediate answer in Parliament when he was an opposition legislator.
Hansard records show his detailed questions on May 23, 2019, suspecting other motives.
Member of Parliament Mr Dissanayake demanded to know whether answers will be given to the House on the accusations.
Then the Leader of the House, Lakshman Kiriella, asked the Speaker that a report be called for.
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