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| Thursday, 26 June 2003 |
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by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi The Cabinet last evening ratified a circular issued by the Health Secretary assuring that the doctors' salary anomalies would be resolved. Earlier, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) claimed that the Health Ministry Circular containing the Cabinet Sub Committee decision on last Wednesday was not effective since it had no Cabinet sanction. Health Minister P. Dayaratne told the Daily News last night that the Cabinet ratification was received for the Health Secretary's circular as promised by him." On several occasions, I reiterated to the GMOA that the necessary steps will be taken to resolve their salary anomalies, but they could not understand. They did not have confidence in us." the Minister lamented. Commenting on the ratification of the circular, Minister Dayaratne said there was nothing to further discuss yesterday as the Cabinet earlier had discussed in detail about all the issues pertaining to the doctors' salary anomalies. Meanwhile, the Interim Committee members of the GMOA is scheduled to meet this morning to take a decision on the calling off of the strike. At the previous Cabinet meeting held last Wednesday, the Government 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. Last Friday night, Government doctors suspended their trade union action till June 26 pending Cabinet ratification for the circular issued by the Health Secretary. The strike launched by the GMOA continued for nine days 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 were met. However, the GMOA expressed satisfaction about the response so far extended by the Government in solving the salary anomaly faced by the Government doctors. |
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