News
Struggle for health worker allowance continues to test limits
View(s):By Nathara Abeywickrema
The Government and health authorities are struggling to find effective strategies to stabilise healthcare as its ever-increasing crisis continues to jeopardise the tax-paying public’s right to health.
Taking to the streets, 72 healthcare professionals caused inconvenience to patients by raising unresolved issues, such as the controversial pay disparity between physicians and other healthcare workers, which has been a cause of discontent for months.
R Rajendran
The supplemental medical professionals are demanding that their disturbance, availability, and transport (DAT) allowance be increased on par with the doctors, which was raised by Rs. 35,000 earlier this year.
Prolonged healthcare strikes have been dominated by discussions about patient safety, but a larger range of ethical issues are also at stake, which are frequently ignored.
Among the hospitals impacted are Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila Teaching Hospital, Kandy National Hospital, and Colombo National Hospital.
B K Ranjani
Since the strikes began, a vast majority of acute inpatient and outpatient appointments were rescheduled.
A cross section of patients at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) told the Sunday Times, that the strike put too much of a strain on their shoulders.
B K Ranjani from Thissamaharama, lamented that her appointment had been pushed to next month. She said traveling to Colombo for appointments would set her back by Rs 12,000 a day.
R Rajendran, a Wattala resident who had come for an appointment with his child and J Moranisa from Galle were also sent back after being assigned another date. They also added that they were highly inconvenienced as medicine was not being properly distributed.
Nandana Dharmasiri, another patient said that although doctors are on duty supplementary medical staff were not available.
In addition, elderly people in rural communities were inconvenienced by the health trade union strikes.
Most of the out-of-town patients in Ampara District who needed to purchase prescription drugs were forced to travel to the SPC store in town, while some claimed that financial difficulties made them walk to the drugstore.
Due to high patient numbers at the dispensary, patients who travel from nearby towns for clinics are disproportionately affected.
Besides, the exorbitant cost of prescription medicines deterred most patients from purchasing them from private pharmacies.
Due to long-standing unfulfilled demands on wage discrepancies, State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) briefly stopped work this week.
J Moranisa
The SPC Pharmacists’ Union however said that it has lifted the suspension of operations in light of the Government’s positive response.
The trade unions linked with the health sector decided to put their scheduled strikes on hold as Minister of Health Dr Ramesh Pathirana agreed to a discussion on Monday.
“Based on their response, further decisions about the resumption of strikes will be made on February 19,” president of Paramedical Services Front (PMSF) and Joint Convener of Trade Union Alliance Upul Rohana said.
Meanwhile, during the last meeting, the unions have been informed by the ministries of health and finance that the matter will be taken up in the budget plan for the following year.
“We call for economic justice and equality for all in the medical sphere, not for the DAT allowance per se. We put in for the need of an allowance while accounting for our base pay using the same formula formed to raise physician salaries. We are also willing to accept a compromise from the Government that pays out half of the allowances this year and saves the remaining portion for the following,” Mr Rohana added.
President of Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary to Medicine, Ravi Kumudesh, said that the timeline and funding allocated for an increase in allowances will be discussed during tomorrow’s meeting.
Mr Kumudesh noted he understands the financial strains but questioned how it does not relate to doctors.
He also urged the creation of a national wage commission with fair procedures to ensure equity for all.
Additionally, he noted that since doctors make up the authorities and no one else is there to represent other health professionals, choices are only made with their best interests in mind.
Nandana Dharmasiri
Meanwhile, the Health Trade Union Alliance declared that they would closely monitor the committee’s decision and warned it will resort to planned trade union action if feasible solutions are not offered.
While bringing the vital role of health workforce to the fore in maintaining the system despite its numerous shortcomings and drawbacks, Dr Chamil Wijesinghe, media secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) stressed that trade union activity by supplementary medical professionals on baseless demands will deepen existing splits in the health sector.
Healthcare in most of the hospitals was significantly impacted by recent strikes, while not all services experienced the same level of disruption, Dr Wijesinghe added.
The GMOA, however, declared it would object if the Government extends the DAT allowance to supplementary medical professionals.
Additional reporting by D Gnanasiri – Digamadulla
The military was called in to help Pix by Priyanka Samaraweera
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