The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Secretary, Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa stated that the GMOA was compelled to take professional action as previous discussions with the Health Minister, in which agreements were reached in writing, were not implemented as promised.
Addressing the media, he emphasised that if patient care services were disrupted due to this professional action, full responsibility should be taken by the Health Ministry, the Health Minister, and the Government. However, Dr. Sugathadasa stressed that these actions would not affect treatment for emergency patients and that the GMOA would not endanger patient lives.
He further noted that if the authorities had properly fulfilled their duties, these trade union (TU) actions would not have been necessary. Dr. Sugathadasa added that the Health Minister had previously promised, during the Budget presentation to the Parliament, to recognise medical professionals as a specialised cadre including specialist doctors, medical officers in various grades, and administrative doctors and to introduce a distinct pay structure for them. However, Cabinet of Ministers approval for this has not yet been granted, he said. He also pointed out that proposals such as updating the duty allowance, converting the additional duty allowance into a permanent allowance, and incorporating it into salaries were supposed to be discussed with Treasury officials by 5 January of this year (2026), yet, no satisfactory response has been received to date.
Consequently, following a lack of adequate response even after a two-day token strike, the GMOA decided to implement five TU actions: Not issuing prescriptions for medicines that are unavailable at clinics and outpatient departments (OPDs) to be purchased from outside pharmacies; Not issuing prescriptions or recommendations to obtain laboratory tests that are unavailable within the hospital system from external laboratories or private hospitals; Not permitting the establishment of new units within the hospital system if the approved number of doctors cannot be provided or if such approvals have not been granted; Not extending support to certain clinics and health camps conducted for political purposes or political requirements; and Doctors withdrawing from duties at hospitals, clinics, and OPDs if they are not provided with an assistant officer to support patient examinations.
The GMOA had decided to launch an island-wide indefinite TU action from 8 a.m. yesterday (26). The decision has been taken owing to the alleged failure by the Ministry to implement agreed solutions. The Union’s Media Spokesperson, Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe stated that the strike will be implemented. “These actions are not about refusing to work. We will continue to work, but only within an environment where it is possible to do so. If the necessary facilities are not provided, the responsibility for the collapse of the free health service will rest with the Ministry, the Minister, and the Government. Furthermore, a GMOA Central Committee meeting will be convened tomorrow (28), at which further decisions regarding additional TU action will be taken. Accordingly, this continuous TU action will be intensified day by day. If the health system or patient care services collapse at any point as a result of these actions, the Ministry, the Minister, and the Government must take full responsibility.”