• Further union action to be announced tomorrow

The 48-hour strike action by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) is to conclude by 8 a.m. today (25), with further Trade Union (TU) actions to be implemented following their announcement tomorrow (26), The Sunday Morning learns.

In a media briefing on Friday (23), GMOA Media Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe noted that Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa had given the association a number of written agreements regarding solutions to various issues faced by hospitals – especially medical officers – following a series of discussions on the matter.

“The GMOA has not asked for these issues to be solved in one night or day. What we have asked for is a discussion with the Ministry of Finance and a plan to move forward step by step,” he said.

Dr. Wijesinghe alleged that the Minister was instead outwardly violating these agreements by failing to implement them, showcasing that the Government had no interest in protecting the health sector and the lives of the general public or in strengthening the medical officers of the nation.

“The success of this strike is not determined by how many patients are inconvenienced. The purpose of this strike and its results are to protect the health system and its doctors,” he concluded.

When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Dr. Wijesinghe stated that the strike was simply one step, with more TU actions to be implemented accordingly. According to him, further plans on moving forward with relevant strike action will be revealed tomorrow (26).