A better deal for nurses

Rohan MATHES

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the authorities to formulate and adopt a common policy on the payment of salaries and allowances to the entire Health Service, before May.

Presiding at a meeting with the officials of the Government Services United Nurses’ Union, at Temple Trees on Thursday, President Rajapaksa pointed out that as a result of intermittent and irregular amendments made in the salaries and allowances of various divisions of the Health Services, certain irregularities and anomalies have taken place within the health sector.

The President directed authorities to enhance the annual ‘Uniform Allowance’ to Rs.9,000 and to take measures to resolve the ‘36-hour’ overtime issue, via the Health Services Common Policy.

He directed Higher Education Minister Prof. Wishwa Warnapala to expedite the transfer of Nursing Education to the university system. He also instructed officials to make available a suitable land for the construction of a housing complex, comprising 5,000 housing units for the nursing staff.

President Rajapaksa also observed that a vast amount had been spent on the development of physical resources of health services to provide a productive and efficient health service.

According to Health Ministry reports, around 4.3 million patients had obtained treatment from Government hospitals last year. Rs.12 billion had been spent on salaries and Rs. four billion on overtime payments for the health sector last year.