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Frustrating Fridays for healthcare workers
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A doctor in a Colombo fuel queue checks whether the queue was moving. Many health sector workers blamed the Government for the lack of preparedness to facilitate the special arrangement for them to obtain fuel on Fridays at pre-identified sheds. Pic by Eshan Fernando
The Government’s plan to give fuel on Fridays to the health sector has drawn mixed reactions.
Owners of filling stations complained that they did not receive enough stock from the Ceylon Petroleum Corp.
Doctors, nurses, attendants, radiologists and other healthcare services providers lined up on Friday for fuel on a priority basis.
Some also lined up at smaller-scale filling stations not designated to provide fuel for healthcare workers.
Doctors said the fuel arrangement is not working.
Colombo National Hospital anaesthetist Dr Upul Dissanayake, who was in the queue at the Rosmead Place filling station, said at least 25 litres should be issued.
“Our job is an on-call job. If a patient is in a critical condition we need to go immediately to save that life. In those situations we cannot take public transport,” he said.
Dr Dissanayake blamed the authorities over the lack of a system under which doctors could fill up without wasting their time in queues.
A doctor who specialises in respiratory medicine, Jamil Mohomad, said he had lined up from 7:00 am to around 3:00 pm. He felt that there was no priority as three-wheel drivers and other motorists, too, were given fuel.
“The patients are helpless, They need treatment, but we, too, need fuel. Otherwise how can we make it to hospitals on call,” he said.
Dr Prasad Colombage, a member of the Government Medical Officers Union (GMOA), said doctors waited in long queues along with others despite being given priority.
“Unfortunately, we do not have enough fuel. At the same time, we feel that we are not treated properly.’’ The expected advantage did not materialise, he said.
He said that doctors had stayed for six to seven hours and then continued to stay after the fuel station ran out of stock.
Dr Prasad said that they could manage emergency services on Friday, but outpatient departments were disrupted as doctors were in queues.
Healthcare providers such as nurses, attendants and medical technicians, too, were in queues.
Medical laboratory technologist Sunil Anupama Lowe said that if the priority was given to health staff, then they should not provide fuel for all other vehicles.
“It’s useless if they issue fuel for one health worker’s vehicle after providing fuel for 10 other vehicles. A fuel station which issues fuel for high profile state institutes as well as embassies should not be assigned to issue fuel for health workers,’’ he said.
Three-wheel drivers, motorcyclists and other vehicle drivers waiting in queues from Thursday claimed that they, too, need fuel.
Three wheel-drivers said they are also breadwinners of their families and that doctors who are getting fuel on Fridays can then pose as civilians to get petrol.
Rohitha Gunaratne, a motorcyclist who makes food deliveries, said that he had been at the filling station from 3:00pm Thursday.
“I have been at the fuel station for over 24 hours. The Government has no plan to manage this. If they had scheduled to provide fuel for medical staff they should have told us to leave,” he said.
Rosmead Place filling station owner Chandrasena Kodikara told the Sunday Times that on some days he had received more than 10 bowsers with 66,000 litres of fuel in each.
“Even on Thursday, we received four browsers of petrol, but on Friday, we had to provide for essential services such as health services. I received only two browsers until 3:00 pm.”
He added that the CPC issues fuel according to its capability.
“In addition, we have supplied fuel to the President’s and the Prime Minister’s offices and companies, there were also ordinary people waiting for fuel.”
Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said this week healthcare workers could fill up at 85 fuel stations. The CPC had told owners it would distribute 6,600 litres of petrol and diesel each.
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