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Doctors write to President seeking continued fuel supply 

08 Mar 2022

  • Request plan for adequate fuel provision as duties affected 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The All-Ceylon Medical Officers’ Association (ACMOA) has requested President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to formulate a methodology and plan for doctors to obtain fuel without any difficulty in the face of the current fuel crisis, in order to provide and attend to essential services. In a letter to the President, ACMOA Secretary Dr. Jayantha Bandara stated that having to wait in long queues to obtain fuel has caused serious difficulties for doctors when providing their services. “Doctors use their personal vehicles to provide essential services, including general duties and on-call duties, but due to the current fuel crisis, obtaining fuel for their vehicles has become a serious problem,” the letter read. The letter further stated that the transportation needs of doctors are significantly more important than those of other government officials. It stated that it is important to facilitate transportation for doctors, as they are required to report for duty at any time during the course of the day and even on weekends and on public holidays. It added that the lack of accommodation for doctors in or near hospitals has further increased the transportation needs of doctors. “The long queues for fuel and the inability to get enough fuel even after waiting for a long time have severely hampered the delivery of doctors’ services. Therefore, it is important to work out a plan to provide fuel to doctors without any shortage,” the letter concluded. The country is currently experiencing a shortage of fuel, particularly diesel, which is caused by the US dollar deficit. As a result, fuel stations are not receiving enough fuel stocks and people are therefore seen waiting in long queues near fuel stations islandwide.


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