Heart patient says GMOA responsible if anything happens to him before or after heart surgery

A 65 year-old heart patient who's awaiting bypass surgery after a postponment, has lodged a complaint at the Ruwanwella police against the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) alleging he suffered due to this week’s token strike that crippled all state hospitals islandwide.

P. Anthonymuttu, a trade union leader and former advisor to the Fisheries Ministry was waiting for his monthly clinic at Karawanella Base hospital in Avissawela on Thursday but no doctors turned up as the GMOA was on a 24-hour strike.

In his complaint he alleged that he suffered poor health the whole day due to the strike launched by the GMOA and the medical officers union should be held accountable if anything happens to him before or after the surgery that has been fixed for early October. He also demanded Rs 10 million as compensation in such an event.

“Like me, there were hundreds of heart patients waiting for their monthly clinic. We had to return home without getting any medical care which we are entitled to. My bypass surgery was postponed from March to October due to some some 400 patients waiting for various heart related surgeries,” Mr Anthony Muttu told the Sunday Times.

He said ironically the GMOA called for a strike on Thursday which happened to be International Day of Peace, celebrated around the world un der the theme ‘Together for Peace: Respect, Safety, and Dignity for All'.

A similar token strike on April 7 which that fell on World Health Day saw thousands of patients seeking treatment at the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital ( NFTH), a subsidiary of SAITM.