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Docs want second demand granted
With the Health Ministry resolving only one of two demands - rectification of salary anomaly - put forward by the GMOA, it is now lobbying for the continued payment of a risk allowance to non-resident doctors working in the North and East.

A Cabinet Memorandum is to be drafted and submitted for approval in order to continue the payment of a risk allowance to doctors working in the North and East, GMOA Spokesman Dr. Dimuth Silva said.

The minister earlier dismissed the demand on the grounds that there was a ceasefire in place. He questioned the risk to doctors when there were holidaymakers making merry in the ravaged North and East. However, the GMOA said that doctors serving in that part of the country were still undergoing hardships due to a lack of facilities such as lodging.

The doctors took to trade union action on June 10 and continued for nine long days with a temporary respite during the Poson Poya weekend. The main demand put forward was the rectification of a salary anomaly, which dates back to 1988, according to the GMOA.

Despite pleas by Health Minister P. Dayaratne to call off the strike, the doctors were persistent that unless a circular giving a definite assurance that Cabinet approval would be given to the Cabinet Sub-Committee recommendations, they were not prepared to call off the strike.

The Cabinet approved on Wednesday proposals put forward by the sub-committee appointed to look into the salary anomaly of graduate doctors. Accordingly the doctors would receive an increment, which would be 10% - 40% of the basic salary.
According to the sub-committee recommenda-tions only 50% of the arrears would be paid with retrospective effect from 1997.

The arrears would be paid in instalments starting from January 2005 over a period of 6 ½ years. Minister Dayaratne said that the government will need a sum of Rs. 550 million per year to implement the salary increase and more than one billion rupees to pay off the arrears.

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