GMOA blames Health Ministry for delay in doctors’ transfers

Senior official’s wife’s position disputed

by Rathindra Kuruwita

Out of the 2,930 specialist doctors in the country, 24.7% (726) were to be transferred in January this year, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Secretary, Dr. Senal Fernando says.

Those transfers had not taken place due to the inefficiencies of the Ministry of Health. As a result many of the doctors had been waiting for the transfers due to them for over seven months, the GMOA official said.

“These transfers have to be effected through the Office of Deputy Director General – Medical Services, Dr. Lal Panapitiya.

Dr. Fernando said that when former President Maithripala Sirisena was the Health Minister; there was a process to ensure that the annual transfers of specialist doctors took place on December 31 of each year.

“However, this process is no longer operational. We have written to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to solve this issue,” he said.