Absence on Thursday:

Health Ministry wants explanation from casual, substitute workers

Nadira Gunatilleke

Explanation will be called from casual and substitute workers attached to the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry who did not report to work on Thursday for being absent without prior notice. They will be given three days to submit their explanations. The workers who fail to do so will be sacked, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said the ministry can terminate the services of those workers without calling for explanation, but the ministry decided to call for explanation as a humanitarian step.

The ministry took this decision after considering the situation in State hospitals on Thursday where few casual and substitute workers reported for work. Most were sanitary workers recruited on a casual and temporary basis.

The ministry has informed the hospital management and other health institutions under the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry purview to call explanation from the workers.

Being absent without informing in advance is a violation of discipline.

The workers absent on Thursday without prior notice should submit their explanations within three days, the spokesman said.