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Patients suffer but GMOA says people with us
The trade union action carried out by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) from February 20, in each of the nine provinces, culminated on Friday in the Western Province, with the union claiming success despite the hardships caused to patients.
The GMOA resorted to these one day token strikes, protest marches and rallies in the nine provinces of the country to show the union’s disagreement with the Appeal Court’s decision to allow South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM), MBBS holders to be registered with the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC).
Many who were taken unaware of the strikes, including kidney, cardiac and diabetes patients were seen at the Outdoor Patients Department (OPD) waiting patiently for the doctors to attend on them, while the doctors were busy otherwise.
The trade union action which was launched in the Uva Province on February 20, ended in the Western Province on Friday followed by a rally and a meeting at the Vihara Mahadevi Park in Colombo. GMOA spokesman Samantha Ananda said the rally in Colombo was a success with around 5000 participants including doctors, university students and politicians joining in.
He claimed the trade union action was carried out tactically in each province so as not to inconvenience patients. He added that the public was supportive of their action and understand that the fight is on their behalf. “We are fighting to maintain the patients’ rights for quality care,” he claimed.
The trade union action that began on February 20 in the Uva Province, continued in the Southern Province on February 22, North Central and Eastern Province on February 23, Wayamba on February 27 , Central Province on February 28, Sabaragamuwa Province on March 1 and the Western Province on Friday (March 3).
Claiming that the staggered islandwide token strikes did not compromise patients’ right to health care, the GMOA spokesman however warned that if the government continued to remain silent on the SAITM matter they would launch a major strike.
Dr. Ananda added that it is the politician’s role to safeguard the rights of the people and that since they are not doing their job the doctors have have stepped into fight for the people. “‘The public is with us and they do not want to risk their lives in the hands of improperly trained doctors,” he said.
He conceded that if these doctors go ahead and practice without the membership of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) the entire health care system will collapse.
“We have written to President Maithripala Sirisena and are awaiting his response,” Dr. Ananda said.
The GMOA committee will meet on Thursday (March 9) while a parliamentary debate on the issue is also scheduled for the same day.