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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.

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