GMOA warns govt. again over intern appointments

The Health Ministry was yet to take tangible measures to address concerns raised by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) about the appointments of medical interns, a senior spokesman for the association said last night.

The official said so after the decision-making body of the Association discussed the matter yesterday (12).

Demanding the Health Ministry call for relevant applications, announce the date of issuance of appointments letters and the date Sri Lanka Medical Council was to be informed without delay, the GMOA said unless the government acted swiftly the grouping would resort to trade union action anytime after 19th June.

The GMOA earlier alleged that the Ministry deliberately delayed internship to new doctors, an accusation strongly denied by the Ministry.

Pointing out that approximately 400 new doctors had been awaiting internship for about one year, the GMOA alleged that the Health Ministry delayed the process as it wanted to accommodate a group of medical students from the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), who are yet to achieve the basic qualifications. According to the top GMOA spokesperson the KDU batch included some SAITM (South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine) students.