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| Saturday, 21 June 2003 |
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Doctors suspend strike till June 26 by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi Government doctors yesterday decided to suspend their on going trade union action till June 26 pending Cabinet ratification for the circular issued by the Health Secretary. The decision to suspend the strike was taken at the GMOA Action Committee meeting last night soon after the Health Secretary sent a letter to the doctors stating that Cabinet ratification will be obtained for the circular demanded by the GMOA, at the next Cabinet meeting. Accordingly, we have decided to suspend the strike till 8.00 am on June 26, a GMOA spokesman told the Daily News last night. However, the spokesman said the country's health service will be greatly affected if the Ministry fails to implement the approved salary hike for doctors in the month of July. The doctors' strike reached its 9th day yesterday despite a Cabinet decision to redress their salary anomalies. The GMOA claimed that the Health Ministry Circular containing the Cabinet Sub Committee decision on Wednesday was not effective since it had no Cabinet sanction. Last evening, Health Minister P. Dayaratne gave instructions to the Health Secretary to issue a letter to GMOA assuring that the Cabinet ratification will be obtained. Minister Dayaratne lamented the acts of the GMOA for not placing their confidence in the Health Ministry despite the proper action taken so far to resolve the doctors' salary anomalies. Sources said the action committee of the GMOA had a series of discussions yesterday and the day before on the future course of action as the strike continued for the 9th day causing immense hardships to the public. The Government on Wednesday decided to meet the salary hike demand made by the GMOA.The decision was taken following a Cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Cabinet appointed a special committee comprising Ministers Karu Jayasuriya, K. N. Choksy, P. Dayaratne and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne to arrive at a decision. The committee decided that the increased salary of medical officers will be paid from July 01. On the arrears claimed by the doctors from 1997, the committee decided to pay 50 per cent of the arrears beginning from January 01, 2005 and spread over a six year period till 2010. The committee also instructed the Health Ministry Secretary to issue a circular containing these details. Minister Dayaratne also said it is sad to note that the GMOA launched a strike despite the assurance given by him that their salary anomalies will be resolved. "I gave an assurance to them. But without having confidence in me, they launched the strike - now their demands have been granted - but who is going to pay for the sufferings endured by the people of this country," the Minister asked. The strike launched by the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) entered its 9th day yesterday plunging hospitals into chaos and causing immense hardship to the patients, with the GMOA sticking to its guns of continuing with its trade union action until their demands are met. GMOA spokesman Dr. Dimuth Silva stressed that no patient had died in a hospital due to the GMOA strike. "No lives had been lost due to the strike. Usually, an average number of deaths are reported at every hospital regardless of whether there is a strike or not," he added. |
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