GMOA strike leaves patients stranded

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Government Medical Officers Association launched a 24-hour token strike at 08.00 am and it is to conclude at o8 am tomorrow (August 22). The GMOA had put forward 8 demands including the failure to establish a minimum standard for medical education and against the attempt to make the Medical Council dysfunctional through the proposed quality certification and standards commission. The strike is not taking place at Maternity Hospitals, Children's Hospitals, The Maharagama Apeksha Hospital, Nephrology –Dialysis and Kidney Transplant Units and Hospitals of the 03 armed forces. Emergency Services at Public hospitals will continue as usual. Due to the islandwide strike thousands of patients were left merciless at the hospitals. Haritha Aluthge, General Secretary of the GMOA noted that in the past there were only substandard medicine and today they have come to a state where substandard doctors are appointed. He noted that their claims regarding substandard medicine were accurate as per the Auditor General's reports. He went on and added that the doctors who are to be appointed do not have the required qualifications to be employed as a medical officer. He shared that some individuals have not even passed A/L s and some had faced the same exam over 80 times. The General Secretary demanded the authorities to resolve these issues within 2 weeks unless authorities want to see the doctors resort to a severe trade union action. UPFA MP, Dayasiri Jayasekera voiced his opinion regarding the GMOA strike and noted that it was necessary to gazette the minimum requirements for medical school to avoid the confusion. Minister of Health, Rajitha Seneratna noted that it has been already set in motion to be gazetted and it is the very reason GMOA has launched a trade union action. He added that the GMOA will benefit from this and take the credit for the gazette.