Supplementary medical professionals to strike

Pharmacists, physiotherapists, medical laboratory technologists, occupational therapists and radiographers will launch a countrywide work-torule campaign next week over disputes in promotions, recruitment and allowances.

The Professions Supplementary to Medicine (PSM) General Secretary Saman Jayasekara said the action was a response to the Health Ministry’s failure to implement promotions in the last eight years, the failure to implement a cabinet decision to recruit degree holders to the five supplementary medical professions and the failure to increase risk and on-call allowances.

“We have been making these requests for several years and in the last six months we have had continuous discussions on the issue but there has not been a favourable response,” Mr. Jayasekara said.

From next Tuesday, supplementary medical professionals of all state hospitals and medical dispensaries would limit their work time from 24 hours to 8 hours till 4 pm.

However, priority would be given to emergency services and the Central Blood Bank, Castle Street Hospital for Women, Peradeniya Children’s Hospital, the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, the De Soyza Maternity Hospital and the National Cancer Hospital Maharagama where the trade union campaign would not be conducted.

Mr. Jayasekara said that doctors had received an increase of Rs.10,000 in allowances while supplementary medical professionals were granted only Rs.1000.