News
GMOA to step up trade union action, citing Govt’s failure to respond
View(s):By Sajeniya Sathanandan
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday resolved to intensify their trade union action to press ahead with their demands, claiming that the government and the Health Minister have not invited it for talks or shown sensitivity toward the issues.
During an emergency committee meeting, the union decided to involve specialist grade medical officers (consultants) in the renewed trade union action, which will begin tomorrow. Accordingly, consultants will withdraw from “cover-up duties” and perform only their official duties.
The GMOA has been continuing its trade union action since January 26, accusing the government of failing to implement the promised changes.
Dr Prabath Sugathadasa
The union demands that the doctors be recognised as an exclusive service category of the Sri Lanka Medical Service with a unique salary structure, similar to the judiciary and Attorney General services. The other demands include the restoration of the car permit system, as the doctors need to travel around to serve the patients; the benefits outlined in the Public Administration Circular 22/99, which provides drivers, vehicles, and fuel to state-sector executive officers but currently excludes medical professionals; and solutions to the persistent crisis involving a lack of surgical consumables and drugs owing to regular procurement delays and poor distribution. The union says drugs are sometimes available in stores but do not reach hospitals.
The GMOA also wants the DAT (Disturbance, Availability, and Transport) Allowance to be converted into a fixed allowance and added to their salary to avoid what it calls administrative harassment. It points out that calculations suggest that state-sector doctors need to receive Rs 270,000, but they receive only Rs 70,000. The union demands an immediate increase, pointing out that the treasury in 2018 recommended a salary of Rs 120,000.
GMOA Secretary Dr Prabath Sugathadasa told the Sunday Times that the “Swastha” system, which previously allowed public monitoring of drug availability, has been restricted to limited users, thereby hiding the true extent of the shortage.
If the government does not provide favourable responses to its demands, the GMOA secretary warned the GMOA would resort to heightened trade union action that could affect the entire health system, and the Ministry of Health should take full responsibility for it.
As part of its trade union action, the doctors have decided not to provide prescriptions for medicines that are not available at clinics and the Outpatient Department (OPD) to be bought at private pharmacies; prescriptions or recommendations for private sector testing; not to operate new units until approved staffing quotas and official regulatory standards are provided; not to support clinics and health camps that were conducted for political purposes or requirements; and to withdraw from their duties at hospitals, clinics and OPDs if an assistant officer to support patient examinations is not provided.
The association reassured that doctors would maintain a policy of attending to emergency and life-saving management to ensure patients’ lives are not put at risk.
When asked about the prescriptions that had been provided to buy medicine from private pharmacies, the GMOA secretary said five per cent of doctors who are not members of the GMOA would have issued them.
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