Healthcare professionals launch strike while public inconvenienced due to protest

COLOMBO (News 1st); Services at hospitals in the Central Province were disrupted recently due to the strike launched by the Nursing, Professions Supplementary to Medicine & Paramedic Service union.

They staged the strike citing several demands including the need to resolve the salary anomalies.

The patients who visited hospitals to obtain medicine stated that they had to obtain indigenous medicines as the hospital authorities asked the patients to go back.

Moreover, patients also said that the hospitals claimed that they are not issuing medicine.

The workers involved in the trade union action staged a protest in Kandy on Thursday (09), and the Co-convener of the federation of Health Professionals, Saman Ratnapriya said that he is simply requesting the Government to implement the recommendations of the Ranukge committe, and emphasized that at the same time, the Government must provide positions and salaries that match one's qualifications.

He demanded that the Government should also resolve all anomalies regarding promotions, and must reduce the cost of medicines.