New alliance launched to pressure health sector to put its house in order

Twenty active health sector trade unions formed an alliance on Thursday at Abhayaramaya temple under the slogan ‘Suwasaviya’. Representing many professions in the health sphere, they signed a MoU in the backdrop of a pledge to collectively campaign against, what they called, “the sorry state of affairs in the health administrative set-up”.

Ven. Muruttettuwe Ananda thera was elected to head the alliance, while the Government Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF) was represented by its president, Dr. Rukshan Bellana as vice president and E. Dharmakeerthi, who represents Paramedical Services, as secretary.

Mrs. Devika Kodituwakku was elected treasurer with Namal Wijesinghe and Roy De Mel were also appointed to key positions in the alliance.

The alliance has across the board representation of most categories in the health sector with doctors, nurses, paramedical staff such as midwives, Medico Laboratory Technologists, Physiotherapists, Radiographers, Electrocardiographers, auxiliary staff such as health management assistants, health assistants and drivers, among others.

The alliance, it was announced, has representation of around 85% health workforce as a whole.

Addressing the media at the launch of the alliance, Ven. Muruttettuwe Ananda thera said that, in his trade union career in the health sector since 1966, this was the worst period he has witnessed.

He claimed that as the incumbent health secretary is weak, he works under the protective cover of the GMOA.

“He lacks vision to take the health sector forward”, the prelate said.

Dr. Bellana said the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), the pinnacle of the medical profession, has been weakened by political interference.

Never in the history has a Health Minister sacked the SLMC president and council members nominated by a then serving Health Minister, Dr. Bellana noted.

“We are contemplating a strident campaign to exert pressure on the government to resolve the chaotic situation in the health sector”, he said.