Hospitals crippled due to docs’ strike
Thousands of patients at all government hospitals yesterday stood in long queues for hours but re- ceived no treatment due to a countrywide token strike by doctors.
Patients at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital were some of the most affected
The association said it had to resort to trade union action because it had not received a response from the Health Ministry or the Treasury when a request was made by the GMOA seeking a meeting.
Most hospital services including the OPD units were crippled due to the strike leaving patients unattended. Patients at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital were some of the most affected as work at hospital units including the surgery division came to a standstill. Most services at hospitals in Tangalle and the surrounding areas were also severely crippled due to the doctors’ strike. However all emergency service units at all hospitals continued as usual.
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) called for a countrywide strike due to the government’s failure to provide higher salaries and to provide transport allowances and other incentives to doctors. The association said it had to resort to trade union action because it had not received a response from the Health Ministry or the Treasury when a request was made by the GMOA seeking a meeting.
The GMOA said it would continue a series of strikes if their demands were overlooked. The GMOA has demanded the authorities to increase the basic salary of all government doctors, to increase the minimum wage of all state sector employees from Rs.11, 600 to a larger percentage and to provide a transport allowance in addition to other demands.
Meanwhile, the GMOA last evening said it would discontinue the token strike at 8 am today following talks with Treasury Secretary P. B. Jayasundera and other officials with whom consensus was reached on the demands. It however said decisions on further course of action would be taken at the next GMOA general committee meeting.