Medical Specialists concerned over Minister’s interference

The Association of Medical Specialists in a letter addressed to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said it was concerned about the action taken by Minister of Heath Pavithra Wanniarachchi in the removal of members of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMC).

Highly respected medical professionals and leading medical associations which represent a wide range of the medical fraternity issued statements against this arbitrary removal of SLMC members by the Health Minister. They are extremely concerned about maintaining independence and integrity of this supreme governing body of the medical profession of the composition of the SLMC,” the Association said in their letter.

“Sacking of five members of the SLMC is a clear attempt to suppress those posts to enable dominance of the GMOA within the SLMC. All decisions of the SLMC are binding collective decisions and no INDIVIDUAL member is responsible for any of these collective decisions,” it said in the letter.

This was clearly stated in the submissions given to the five-member subcommittee by SLMC, and one signatory of this submission included Prof. Vajira Dissanayake, the newly appointed President to SLMC. The current crisis in the SLMC is orchestrated by the GMOA with the help of the present

“The Health Minister by illegally removing SLMC President and four council members well before they finished their term heavily undermined SLMC’S credibility as three out of the five member-committee appointed to inquire into the allegations against the SLMC made by the GMOA were also active members of SLMC.

“Further, this so-called committee of inquiry was a factfinding committee and no specific charges were made against those dismissed and they were not given a chance to defend themselves,” the letter said.