ACNU accuses govt. of having a sinister plan for nursing service

By Saman Indrajith

All Ceylon Nurses’ Union (ACNU) yesterday alleged that the government is trying to privatize nursing and that the first step is to reduce the qualifications of those who can enter the service.

“The President said he will recruit to the service from among people who have studied Arts for the GCE A/L. The Minister of Health echoed the President a few days ago,” ACNU General Secretary H.M.S.B. Mediwatta said.

He said that a Sri Lankan nurse trained by state-owned nursing schools is second to none in knowledge and professionalism.

“Any state-trained nurse can find work anywhere in the world. We have a good reputation because we recruit people who are best suited for the job.

Nursing students currently need to sit for Science subjects for the GCE A/L examination. This requirement is there because nurses do need to have a good knowledge of biology, anatomy, etc.,” Mediwatta said.

Ranil Wickremesinghe was a member of the J.R. Jayewardene government that recruited political henchmen en masse into the government service in the 1980s, he said.

“What JR did was a big reason why the quality of the services offered by the state dropped. Now, Ranil is trying to play with people’s lives,” he said.