GMOA
wants surgeons’ posts filled, health sector strengthened
By Apsara Kapukotuwa
Cardio-thoracic services were a key issue the Government Medical
Officers Association brought forward this week, in the face of lethargy
shown by the Government on matters of national importance.
After
meetings held with the Director General of Health Services, the
GMOA has requested that posts kept vacant for the past seven years,
due to pending court cases, be filled as soon as possible.
The
GMOA said those vacancies should be advertised within the first
week of May, in keeping with the Medical Services Minute, to give
permanent placements to the four cardio-thoracic surgeons who have
arrived in Sri Lanka.
In
case a cardio-thoracic surgeon is not board-certified in time to
apply within the due date, the vacancies should be re-advertised
preferably every 6 weeks, it said.
Vacancies
for cardio-thoracic surgeons have been identified at the National
Hospital Colombo (1), Kandy Hospital (2) and Lady Ridgeway Hospital
(1). Two proposals have been forwarded to the Director General of
Health Services and to the Health Ministry Secretary by the GMOA
to further streamline and strengthen the health services.
These
are the establishment of a special court, modelled on the lines
of the Labour Tribunal, and the appointment of a Medical Ombudsman,
who could be approached for mediation before resorting to court
action.
"If
put in place, these two proposals would go a long way in solving
several administrative issues facing the health sector today. The
trend is to go directly to court, often on trivial technical issues,
especially when it concerns transfers. The court delay is all that
is sought by those who are doing so," GMOA secretary Dr. A.B.
Padeniya said.
Also
brought up for discussion was the issue of organ transplant services
being defined and allocated enough funds in the next 5 years. The
need to establish a centre for excellence at the Kandy Teaching
Hospital, the establishment of satellite centres, the review and
revision of the transplant act, the national tissue and blood policy
and the development of a voluntary donor policy as well as the establishment
of a data bank in the field of organ transplants were among the
other issues brought up. |