270 Graduates Challenge Health Ministry Hiring

COLOMBO (News 1st): The Court of Appeal has issued an interim order suspending the scheduled appointments of medical laboratory technologists and physiotherapists to the Ministry of Health, which were to be made today (28). The order will remain in effect until June 11.

The decision follows a petition filed by 270 graduates from the Allied Health Sciences stream, who allege that the recruitment process outlined in Gazette Notification No. 2389, dated April 27, was fundamentally unfair.

The petitioners argue that the selection process, which was supposed to be based on a competitive examination, failed to consider their academic qualifications and degree results.

They claim that Clause 6 of the Gazette indicates that appointments would be made based on "competency," a term they say was used to bypass merit-based selection and disadvantage qualified candidates.

The Court of Appeal bench, comprising Justices Mohamed Laffar Thahir and Priyantha Fernando, issued the interim order after reviewing the petition.

Respondents named in the case include Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, among others.

The petitioners, represented by Attorney-at-Law Rajiv Amarasuriya under the instruction of the law firm Ramzi Bacha Associates, are seeking a writ of prohibition to prevent the appointments and a court order declaring the recruitment process invalid.