GMOA media spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe encourages government to look at alternatives
(COLOMBO) -The army was on Wednesday pressed into emergency services at Sri Lanka’s State-run hospitals following a strike by health workers across the island-nation.
The strikers are demanding an increase in an allowance that was given to doctors and their trade union action that entered its second day on Wednesday has crippled services at all State hospitals.
The strikers have also come under flak from the all-powerful Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) who claim that the strike by the health workers were politically motivated and unjust and unfair by the general public at large.
GMOA media spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe encouraged the Government to look at an alternative such as using more technology and machines while reducing human resources for health services.
He said that several trade union leaders are carrying out this strike based on their political agendas and whatever they say this is an illegal and unethical action.
Sri Lankan Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said that the Finance Ministry had proposed a system to address the demands of the striking health sector trade unions within the limited fiscal space but the trade unions have not agreed with those proposals.
The trade unions representing a wide range of health sector professionals including those in professions supplementary to medicine and the paramedical services such as radiology and laboratory technicians, pharmacists and drug compounders, midwives, dental surgeons, public health inspectors, and entomology officers are involved in the ongoing strike.
