The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) says that they will launch an island wide strike from tomorrow to protest what they say are several failings in the healthcare system. The strike is to commence tomorrow at 8.00 a.m. and will end on Friday morning.
According to the GMOA, they have arrived at this token strike decision due to several reasons including the serious shortage of medicine in hospitals, failure to enforce minimum standards of medical education, amending the Service Minutes for doctors, illegal attempts to give appointments relating to the medical filed to persons who have not pass or sit for Advanced Level examination in Science stream.
Considering the importance of services provided in the maternity hospitals, children hospitals, Maharagama Apeksha hospital, Kidney diseases treatment units and military forces’ hospitals, the GMOA has decided not to carry out the trade union action in the said institutions.
The GMOA is calling for talks concerning their demands with the political authority headed by the President Maithripala Sirisena and the administrative authority along with the Secretary to the Health Ministry.