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Para-medical
services strike, patients at receiving end
The paramedics are conducting a campaign where no work is done outside their usual duty hours, which in effect means that all paramedical services which were available for 24 hours a day will not operate after 4 pm. Despite the trade union action the supplementary medicine services continued to function as usual at Lady Ridgeway hospital but however, that too ceased after 12 noon on Saturday. The circular in question stipulates that instead of the on call allowance paid earlier, the paramedics would instead be paid overtime. The earlier system was dependent on the number of patients that visited the hospital for these services during the paramedics duty hours. The paramedics are opposed to the guidelines set out in the circular since it was sent without prior notice and overtime payement rate is not mentioned. According to the Sri Lanka Association of Medical Laboratory Technologists the discussions held with the Health Ministry Secretary on Friday was not successful. The Ministry had not agreed to remove the circular and its stipulations while discussions were taking place but had agreed to appoint a committee to arrive at an agreement on the rate of payment. While the Colombo National Hospital is taking measures to utilise private para medical services for emergency tests and investigations with the National Hospital footing the bill. Meanwhile the Maharagama Cancer Hospital's radiology unit has been affected. The Castle Street hospital for Women had stopped conducting urgent lab tests (such as blood tests and ECG's) conducted on all pregnant mothers admitted after 9 am. At hospitals outside Colombo, where private sector paramedical services are not readily available, patients were left with no alternative. |
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