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Health strike suspended

The Joint Council of Professions Supplementary to Medicine (JCPSM) yesterday decided to suspend their strike at certain hospitals in response to the Government's initiative of appointing a Cabinet Sub Committee to look into their problems.

Accordingly, normal services are already available at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children while services at the Central Blood Bank and all other banks will return to normal from today.

This follows decisions taken at the special General Committee meeting of the Council held yesterday, to discuss initiatives taken by the Government to resolve their problems.

Besides, JCPSM members will ensure normal services at hospitals such as Kalubowila, Ragama, Peradeniya, Batticaloa, Ratnapura, Ampara and Galle. "Our members will provide services voluntarily at those hospitals from today specially to emergency cases," the Council's Media spokesman Ravi Kumudesh told the Daily News yesterday.

He added that normal services at the Cancer Hospital, Maharagama will be available from Monday. However, Kumudesh said the strike will continue at other hospitals. "The Directors at the Colombo National and Kandy General have announced that they are maintaining a satisfactory service despite our strike. So we will continue our strike at those hospitals and if the Directors make a request, we will provide our services." Meanwhile, Director General of Health Services Dr. Athula Kahandaliyange had sent a letter responding to the requests of the JCPSM.

In his letter, Dr. Kahandaliyange had assured the JCPSM will be kept informed about future actions of the Ministry on the Junaid Report and that the Ministry is taking necessary measures to improve training courses for the professions supplementary to medicine to be on par with international standards.

The letter had also indicated that the steps will be taken to present the draft Bill on the proposed Constitution of Professions Supplementary to Medicine to the Cabinet before the end of next month. Kumudesh said JCPSM will have another General meeting on Monday to decide a future course of action on their trade union action.

"We will provide a more positive response depending on the actions taken by the Sub Committee."

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