Ongoing trade union actions are to intensify following the Government’s continued failure in fulfilling agreements that were previously reached in order to resolve issues faced by part of the State health sector’s human resources, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) warned yesterday (7).
GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Hansamal Weerasuriya, speaking to The Sunday Morning, reiterated that future trade union action would be determined following the meeting taking place at the association’s headquarters on Wednesday (11).
Medical officers of health and additional medical officers of health across the country will be summoned for the meeting with the aim of discussing public health sector challenges.
In a media release issued on Friday (6), the GMOA noted that the current strike action involved the withdrawal from duties beyond the official service requirements performed by doctors, often at personal risk and without additional facilities or financial benefit.
“As such, there is minimal disruption to the medical service, ensuring that the general public does not face any inconvenience as a result of the strike action,” it added.
The release noted that the trade union action undertaken did not pertain to claims regarding the process of medical transfers, while reiterating that transfers should be conducted through accepted procedures.
Claiming that nearly 8,000 medical transfers were yet to be properly implemented and citing inefficiencies amongst certain senior Health Ministry officials, the GMOA called for medical personnel transfers to be carried out without interference from political parties and through established procedures.
The release showcases a wider set of demands pertaining to the strike, including the obtaining of Cabinet approval to establish a distinct ‘Sri Lanka Medical Service’ group including all categories of medical professionals.
It also calls for regular updates to the medical professionals’ Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance; addressing of vehicle issues in accordance with Circular 22/99; ensuring that the additional duties allowance is a permanent benefit; addressing of issues related to research allowance; resolving postgraduate education problems; and updating the public health system’s approved cadre of doctors.
A defined timeline for discussions related to resolving these issues has been noted as being imperative. “These are burning issues that we have already agreed upon. We are not requesting monetary value, but a framework for these demands,” Dr. Weerasuriya said.
In the aftermath of a series of discussions, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa had granted the GMOA a number of written agreements regarding solutions for various issues faced by hospitals, especially in relation to issues affecting medical officers.
Given the delay in implementing these agreements, the GMOA launched a 48-hour strike action on 23 January.
The series of professional union actions presently being carried out islandwide is based on the unanimous decision of the GMOA’s Central Committee.
Several attempts to contact the Ministry of Health regarding the matter proved futile.