Minor workers strike: Near normality at National Hospital

Lakmini Rodrigo

COLOMBO: In spite of the islandwide sick-note campaign carried out by the lower ranking officers yesterday, the National Hospital Colombo carried out a satisfactory work schedule with the assistance of the Army, National Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe told the Daily News.

He added that though the minor workers and pharmacists had struck work yesterday, doctors, nurses and some other professionals had reported to work as usual.

The Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva met administrators in the health sector and Army officers last Saturday and had made arrangements for trained soldiers to work in hospitals during the one day sick-note campaign carried out by the Public Sector Salary Review Trade Unions Committee (PSSRTU) yesterday, the doctor added.

Accordingly army personnel had driven ambulances, run the telephone exchange, moved patients on trolleys and even worked as attendants in theatres enabling the hospital to carry out not only the emergency surgeries, but even routine surgeries, Dr. Weerasinghe said.

The Director assured that an almost normal work schedule was carried out in the Outside Patient Units and the clinics yesterday.

Health Ministry officials assured that uninterrupted services had been maintained in all hospitals where the sick-note campaign was carried out with the support of the Army.

Meanwhile PSSRTU co-convener P. Sampath Rajitha told the Daily News that the islandwide sick-note campaign was carried out demanding Rs.3000/- to be added to all public servants' salaries before the review of the salary circular which is to be done next year.