GMOA to toughen its stance if...

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) will toughen its stance if the government does not pay heed to its demands, GMOA Secretary Dr. Naveen de Zoysa said yesterday.

“We will convene a special Central Committee meeting on July 6 to discuss about our future plans. We will stick to firm decisions if the government does not heed our demands,” he said. The GMOA launched an island-wide token strike from 8.00 a.m. to noon yesterday. The token strike was launched to mark its opposition to the unlawful action by SAITM, Malabe to obtain registration of the SLMC for their medical graduates and against the attack carried out on peaceful protest demonstration by medical students.

The token strike was also against the involvement of the Health Minister in the appointments of medical officers prepared by the transfer board of ministry, actions taken by the minister in contradiction of the Drug Regulatory Authority, the process adopted by the government to sign ETCA without preparing a national policy, attempts to dissolve the state service and the ministry not taking steps to grant admission to children of doctors who had got transfers and foreign training.

However, smooth functioning of children’s LRH, maternity hospitals, kidney and cancer hospitals were ensured.

“We launched this token strike action in objection to the registration of SAITM which has not yet received the approval from SLMC. We manged emergency services and dengue patients too which clearly proves that this strike was carried out with the intention of building a safe health future for the patients. The government, who took this unsolicited decision will have to bear the sole responsibility of the innocent patients who had been affected by the strike,” Dr. de Zoysa said.

“The GMOA very clearly stated that the Private Medical College (PMC) should have the basic minimum standards to produce medical graduates into the health care system of the country. Unfortunately, it is evident that the minister is trying to give acceptance to the PMC overruling the SLMC,” Dr. de Zoysa said.

“Judging by his actions, we wonder whether the minister has different motives which are not in line with the government policy regarding the health sector. To be more precise, these actions are extremely detrimental to the image and expected objectives of the government elected with a mandate to establish good governance. Therefore, we firmly believe to safeguard the objectives of the government, either the Prime Minister or the President needs to foresee the actions of the Health Minister, ” he said.

“We have learnt that certain ministers are pressurising President Maithripala Sirisena to refrain from taking over SAITM,” Dr. de Zoysa said.

“Otherwise it will not be possible to prevent the impending crisis of the entire health sector which will very badly reflect on the government.”

The Government Dental Surgeons’ Association and the Government Ayurvedic Doctors’ Association also joined the strike organised by the GMOA yesterday, Dr. Zoysa said.

Members of the GDSA extended their protest for 24 hours while Sri Lanka Public Service United Nurses’ Union and several other unions in the health sector extended their support, he said.

Failure by the authorities to favourably respond to this token strike will make them to resort to an indefinite island-wide strike, the GMOA Secretary warned.