Archives

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

Despite the strike by the Health Services Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA), health authorities yesterday assured that measures are in place to minimise the inconvenience caused to the public and ensure a satisfactory service.

Health authorities have taken drastic measures such as deploying Police and security forces to assist the hospital staff in ensuring due health care at Government hospitals.

"This measure has enabled hospital staff to maintain services despite the strike," a Health Ministry spokesman added. At the Colombo National Hospital (CNH) alone, Police and three Armed Forces members were deployed to assist in certain essential units.

"Things are much better and we have been able to ensure all emergency services in a satisfactory manner," hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe added.

He said even OPD treatment was provided to patients and arrangements were made to provide drugs for OPD patients through the Osu Sala.

Around 100 Police officers were deployed at the National hospital to provide security while 250 soldiers manned essential units at the hospital.

"We have taken adequate measures to ensure a satisfactory service to the people and at the same time, security for those who have reported to work," the Ministry spokesman told the Daily News yesterday.

The HSTUA expressed a desire to resolve the present crisis through discussions. "We are ready to solve existing problems through discussions with health authorities, but they should take practical measures," an alliance spokesman said.

Normal services at Government hospitals countrywide were affected following the trade union action by HSTUA.

The Health Ministry has decided to cancel leave of all Health Department staff with immediate effect. Accordingly, substitutes, casual workers and temporary employees who will not report to work today will be deemed as having vacated their posts.

The trade union alliance responded to this move yesterday saying that the strike will be expanded if authorities attempt to sack health staff and deploy outsiders in hospitals.

The HSTUA decided to stage a continuous trade union action from yesterday urging health authorities to provide satisfactory solutions to their salary anomalies. "There are certain shortcomings in the salary anomaly report prepared by the Ministry Sub Committee and we are ready to discuss those issues," alliance spokesman Ravi Kumudesh said.

He said their trade union action was held in all hospitals except four hospitals namely Lady Ridgeway, De Zoysa, Castle and Cancer Hospital, Maharagama.

However, health authorities said doctors and nurses had not participated in this strike. Issuing a statement, the Public Service United Nurses' Union (PSUNU) announced they would not join today's trade union action and urged their members not to join the trade union action.

Earlier, Health Minister P. Dayaratne lamented that it is very unfortunate that the trade union alliance had decided to launch a strike despite several measures taken by the Government to find a solution to the existing salary anomaly. However, clinics and routine operations had to be postponed due to the strike. "If the strike continues, we will find alternative measures to maintain those services."

Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said that patients are being admitted to the hospital as usual while other services are also provided.

"The assistance of private hospitals will be obtained for necessary medical and laboratory tests," he added.

The Health Department has also decided to allow a relative of each critical patient to stay at the hospital while arrangements are being made to provide cooked meals to in-house patients.

A spokesman of the HSTUA said that health officials and the Cabinet Sub Committee have failed to give them satisfactory solutions within the stipulated time framework.

They claimed that the recent salary hike approved by the Health Ministry for the doctors has created a huge salary anomaly in the health sector.

Meanwhile, trade union representatives last evening held a discussion with senior Health Ministry officials on the Ministry Sub Committee's salary anomaly proposals.

Absentees to be sacked

The Health Ministry yesterday directed all heads of institutions under it to terminate the services of all casual and temporary employees who do not report for work. "We have instructed to recruit new employees to fill those vacancies," Director General of Health Services Dr. Athula Kahandaliyange said.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager