President tells govt. top brass to address nurses’ issues considering financial crisis facing country

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that nurses’ issues should be addressed also taking into consideration the financial crisis. Their problems should be solved in a way that didn’t affect the entire public service, the President said.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said so at a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat, yesterday (17) at the request of the Public Service United Nurses Union (PSUNU).

Establishment of the Nursing University, promotion of Nursing Officers from Grade ll to Grade I with retrospective effect by backdating the promotion, 36 hours of duty to be treated as 30 hours duty of 5 days a week, providing of Rs. 10,000 allowance proportionate to the DTA allowance of Rs. 35,000 to medical professionals, the issuance of the Uniform Allowance Circular and the Additional Service Allowance at the rate of 1/100 of the basic salary were discussed during the meeting.

The President instructed the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunga, to amend the Higher Education Act and present it to the Parliament expeditiously, and to take further necessary steps to merge nursing colleges in order to create a national university. Mr. Amaratunga stated that the Higher Education Act would be presented to the Parliament by April and the Nursing University would be established before the end of May.

President Rajapaksa also instructed the Secretaries of Health and Finance to make arrangements to backdate the promotions from Grade II to Grade I and grant the uniform allowance.

Despite the difficulties, steps were taken to pay an allowance of Rs. 5,000 to all public sector employees from January. When delivering the requests of one group, another group makes a matching request.

However, it is important for everyone to understand that not all demands can be considered in the midst of the current financial crisis, he has said.

Therefore, the President instructed the officials to discuss with the Ministry of Finance and other institutions and pay attention to the requests of nurses in a manner that does not affect the entire public service.

The President of the Public Service United Nurses Union, Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera, Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Finance Secretary S.R. Attygalle, Health Secretary Major General Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Director General of the National Budget Jude Nilukshan, Director General of the Public Service Commission Hiransa Kaluthanthri, Secretary of the National Salaries Commission Chandrani Senaratne and members of the PSUNU were present at the occasion.