PHIs protest over vaccinating GMOA family members

The Public Health Inspectors (PHI) are up in arms over a Health Ministry decision to vaccinate family members of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) for COVID-19 at a time when the frontline health workers were yet to be vaccinated.

President of the PHI’s Union Upul Rohana said that as a mark of protest all their members have kept away from the vaccination programme today.

He said five family members each of members of the GMOA were being given the vaccination from today.

 “We want to stress that priority should first be given to the health workers and only thereafter the family members should be considered”, he said.

Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath at a press conference denied that such vaccination programme was taking place.

But doctors confirmed that the vaccination programme for family members of doctors were continuing as agreed with the government.

Ven Muruthettuwe Ananda thera who heads the nurses union also condemned the move to give priority to family members of doctors.