The Government Medical Officers Association launched a one-day strike along with thirty other trade unions on Friday, May 5 against SAITM. Interestingly, MP Ranjan Ramanayake found out that Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya (The President of GMOA) is on duty despite the strike. The MP found this out by channeling Dr. Padeniya himself.

MP Ramanayake broke down the receipt charges;

Day: 4th May 2017
Time: 10.30pm

• Appointment Time – 4.05 pm
• Doctor’s charges – Rs. 1000
• Doctor’s charges (vat) – Rs. 150
• Hospital charges – Rs. 500
• Total deducted from the MP’s credit card – Rs. 1925

“He is holding a strike in the morning. And he is plucking coconuts in the night. The innocent people are affected by this.” said MP Ramanayake.

However, when he held a media briefing to reveal what took place, MP Ramanayaka received a phone call.

Ranjan Ramanayake: Who is this?
Nawaloka Hospital: This is the Nawaloka Hospital
RR: Yes I am Ranjan Ramanayake.
NH: Dr, Padeniya will not arrive at the hospital We called to inform you of this.
RR: He has taken money from me. Is he not coming?
NH: We can change it to a different date or refund the money.

Responding to the incident, GMOA President Dr. Padeniya said that it is a normal method which “leaders in this country like Ranjan Ramanayake don’t understand”.

Dr Padeniya says that, based on the systems at hospitals, they make appointments for patients to meet doctors. He added, “however when we inform the hospital that we will not be attending on that day, the hospitals then inform the patients in this regard..”

But…, what the GMOA secretary Dr. Naveen de Soyza said during a media brief contradicts Dr. Padeniya’s statement entirely…

Dr. de Soyza said: “The chairman is not engaging in the strike action because he is at the Lady Ridgeway hospital. The doctor usually treat children’s mental health. The MP who has obtained an appointment with this doctor, should have sought a doctors that treat adult’s mental health. A child cannot be an MP. So, his appointment is wrong, he has gone to the wrong place.”

Also, during an interview with the BBC, GMOA’s Editor Dr. Nalinda Herath said that they do not halt private practice well in advance because it will allow the government to know in advance when the GMOA holds a strike action. “So we intentionally delay making this announcement ..” he said.

Even though Dr. Herath expressed these views on Friday, Three days earlier on the 2nd of May he said: “.. We want to fearlessly state that we are not afraid of the actions of the ministers. On May 5, 21 trade unions will join us in a strike action ..”