(COLOMBO) – The Sri Lankan security forces were deployed in State hospitals on Friday for the second consecutive day as a large number of medical officials continued a strike to press home a demand for a hike in an allowance.
The military personnel were assisting doctors and nurses in attending to patients apart from other duties.
The doctors and nurses are not involved in the strike and described the trade union action by the health workers as political motivated.
However the situation at the hospitals remained calm with no incidents reported according to a senior military official.
He said that more troops had also been placed on the ready if their services were required.
The cash-strapped island nation says it does not have the adequate funds to agree to the fresh striker’s demands saying that similar allowances had already been provided to them earlier from time to time, an health official said.
