GMOA on island-wide strike, Deputy Health DG urges to call it off

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) launched an islandwide strike from 8 AM on Tuesday (21). According to GMOA spokesperson Dr. Samantha Ananda, the strike action is carried based on 07 demands. '' All essential and emergency services, as well as children's, maternity, cancer, and kidney units, will be in operation without any hindrance, however, there will be a breakdown in other hospitals and services,'' Dr. Ananda said. Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. G. Wijesuriya speaking on the topic said, no prior notice has been issued to any of the authorities including the Director-General of Health Services, or himself regarding an islandwide doctors strike. He noted even though there is no excess workforce, doctors have been assigned to the relevant areas. '' We kindly urge the doctors not to engage in the strike during these trying times of a pandemic and economic hardship because the general public will be highly affected and we are deeply saddened '' Dr. Wijesuriya said. Meanwhile, the GMOA launched a 24-hour token strike yesterday (20) across 05 districts in the country. Operations at hospitals in Mannar, Trincomalee, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, and Polonnaruwa were hampered as a result of the strike.