Strike paralyses state run healthcare system

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The state-run healthcare system came to a standstill yesterday (01) when 72 trade unions struck work demanding that the government increase their salaries using the same formula they adopted to raise the salaries of doctors.

President of the Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary Medicine, Ravi Kumudesh, said about 100,000 health workers had struck work.Kumudesh said the unions had no problem with doctors receiving various perks.

“We have never objected to doctors being given salary hikes or allowances. We have not even opposed the government’s doubling of the DAT allowance. In fact, we protested when the government suspended the enhanced DAT for doctors. We have only asked the government to increase our salaries by using the same formula they used to raise the salaries of doctors. However, the The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has opposed our demands. This is the problem here,” he said.

Tri-forces personnel were deployed at hospitals following request from the Health Minister to overcome the situation.The GMOA Media Spokesman, Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said that doctors were on duty yesterday.

“The striking unions have agreed to keep emergency services running. But they are also taking decisions on what qualifies as an emergency. This is a call that a doctor should make, not an X ray operator,” he said.