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GMOA warns of wave of similar strikes while ending token strike yesterday
View(s):The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has warned that while their 24-hour islandwide token strike came to an end at 8 a.m. yesterday, the Government should expect a wave of similar strikes if it failed to provide solutions to the issues they raised. Health services throughout the country were impacted on Friday due to the GMOA’s token strike, which started at 8 a.m.The strike crippled the Out Patient Department (OPD) treatment in most government hospitals, severely inconveniencing thousands of patients.
Sick and disappointed: Despite the strike, the patients waited in hope to see a doctor who never came. Pic by Amila Gamage
The GMOA meanwhile, also instructed its members to refrain from engaging in private practice during the period of the strike. The organisation claimed that doctors who were not part of the government service also supported the strike by refraining from engaging in private practice. The strike did not affect paediatric hospitals, maternity hospitals, the Maharagama Cancer hospital and the renal units of state hospitals, the GMOA stressed.
The strike was launched over 10 demands made by the GMOA. They were: Approve the Disturbance Availability and Transport allowance revision; calling for the government to gazette the minimum standard of medical education as recommended by the Sri Lanka Medical Council; remove the taxation policy on professionals including doctors; rectify gross violation of national wage policy; formulate a national trade policy to ensure the safety of service sectors of the country before signing the Singapore Free Trade Agreement; hold SLMC elections as planned; formulate a National Allowance Policy for government sector and increase allowances according to a policy; rectify the anomalies in the grade promotion scheme of medical officers; provide schools for doctors’ children, and adhere to Medical Service Minute provision.