GMOA pulling out surgical knives if Rajitha comes back

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) is again on the warpath, this time over the possible appointment of Rajitha Senaratne as Health Minister.

There is strong speculation that Dr. Senaratne, who was the Health Minister in the Cabinet prior to the events of October 26, will retake oaths as Health Minister tomorrow. The GMOA hierarchy, which had been at constant loggerheads with Dr. Senaratne during the past three and a half years, is not pleased with the news.

The possibility of Dr. Senaratne being reappointed prompted the association to send out a statement yesterday hinting that the GMOA may even resort to trade union action if he was appointed. The statement noted that the GMOA had earlier handed over to the President, a petition signed by 14,000 medical professionals requesting the President to refrain from appointing Dr. Senaratne as Health Minister.

The GMOA’s move also raises questions as to whether it is planning to revert to its pre- October 26 days of island-wide strikes. In direct contrast to its role before October 26, GMOA officials met publicly with those from the Rajapaksa camp, praised the appointment of Chamal Rajapaksa as Health Minister, and even submitted meekly when Mr Rajapaksa’s shortlived government announced that the Sri Lanka- Singapore Free Trade Agreement would not be cancelled. The only time the GMOA sounded a voice of protest was over the decision taken by the Rajapaksa government to cut down the sugar tax on soft drinks. Even then, its protest amounted to a letter sent to Mahinda Rajapaksa, kindly requesting him not to come to a final decision.

With the previous government set to resume office, the same GMOA that submitted meekly to the Rajapaksas has again found its voice.