Here is a press release issued by the Government Medical Officers Association.
Press release
Further action against unfair and baseless disciplinary investigations aimed at suppressing trade union leaders.
We have continued to expose actions and parties that discourage and oppress doctors who are committed to raising Sri Lanka’s free health service to the highest level despite many difficulties.
The role of health workers, including doctors, and the arbitrary and baseless actions of the Ministry of Health investigation department officials, who have no technical knowledge of health services, continue to oppress doctors.
A more serious problem is efforts to suppress union leaders who reveal the truth to the public about problems and malpractices in health care. The best example of this is that the unfair, unjust and biased disciplinary investigation imposed on Dr. Palitha Rajapaksa, Assistant Secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association and Uva Provincial Coordinator, who informed the public about the shortage of drugs and its effects, is still not over.
Due to political pressure, the investigation department has started and maintained this disciplinary inquiry without any formal complaint, and it has been observed that the methodology followed is extremely flawed. Also, the actions of some officials of the Health Service Sub-Committee of the Public Service Commission, who are completely ignoring the recommendations of the current Health Ministry Secretary, are also extremely questionable. There is serious doubt whether a former political powerhouse is behind this entire process.
Accordingly, it is being confirmed that the disciplinary investigation of Dr. Palitha Rajapaksa has been carried out baselessly and biased since its inception, with the aim of silencing the voice of the Government Medical Officers Association including him.
Against this unfair disciplinary investigation and the arbitrary actions of the investigative department, the Government Medical Officers’ Association held a series of protests covering all the districts of the country last week.
But it is surprising that the responsible parties, led by the Public Service Commission’s Health Service Sub-Committee, have failed to solve this problem. It shows that they have not been able to correctly understand the signal given through the protests.
Therefore, in the Emergency Special Central Committee meeting of the Government Medical Officers’ Association held yesterday, it was unanimously decided to intensify the union actions that have been initiated by forcing those responsible to solve this problem immediately in the coming week.
Accordingly the following decisions were reached.
Placing black flags in protest in all hospital premises across the country.
Distributing leaflets to educate people about the attempt to suppress trade union leaders.
Dr. Palitha Rajapaksa is given 07 days to do justice by removing the unfair disciplinary investigation. Failing to do so, it was decided to initiate a nationwide token strike on Wednesday 18th September from 8.00 am.
The Ministry of Health should immediately initiate disciplinary action against the officials of the investigation department who conducted this disciplinary inquiry unfairly and biasedly.
The investigative division of the Ministry of Health is given 14 days to start the restructuring process. If a positive program is not implemented for that, further decisions will be taken in the Central Committee meeting held in the last week of this month.
If any party thinks that the officers and union leaders of the Government Medical Officers’ Association raising their voice for free healthcare can be silenced through repression, it is now being proved very wrong.
If this problem is not addressed by removing unfair and biased disciplinary investigations, this profession will have to intensify the action, and all parties behind these agendas must take full responsibility if there is any inconvenience to the public due to the disruption of health services.
Dr. Prabhath Sugathadasa
Secretary
