The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) will re-launch their strike if the relevant authorities fail to arrest the rest of 17 suspects in the Galaha incident and implement the law against them in the next few days, GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said.
Addressing a press conference at the GMOA headquarters in Colombo yesterday, he said that the GMOA received reliable information that one of the key Cabinet Ministers in the government who represents Kandy is behind the delay in arresting suspects and non-implementation of the law against the culprits.
This Cabinet Minister is a very strong pro-SAITM person. The police had identified 24 suspects and arrested only seven of them so far, because of the influence of this politician. Galaha Hospital has been closed down since this incident took place and no doctor will be sent to Galaha Hospital until the Health Ministry meets the demands of the GMOA, which include ensuring the safety of the hospital and the vicinity and providing basic facilities for the hospital, he said.
The ongoing strike in Polonnaruwa will be extended to the entire Polonnaruwa district and then to the North Central Province, if the official diaries of the doctors are not returned to them by the Provincial Council officers who confiscated them without authority to do so. Clearly a well-organised plan is in action with the leadership of the Polonnaruwa Acting Provincial Director of Health Services to tarnish the image of President Maithripala Sirisena, he said.
The doctors maintain an official diary and the Health Ministry has a mechanism to inspect them. The Provincial Council has nothing to do with it, he added.
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