More security for doctors in East - Health Minister

Colombo: Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said he has strengthened security provided to all Government doctors in the Eastern and Northern Provinces in consultation with Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Security at Government hospitals have also be strengthened and no one would be alloward to enter hospitals carrying weapons.

He disclosed this at a conference held with a group of Government doctors employed in hospitals in the North and East including Batticaloa and Vavuniya hospitals yesterday at the Ministry in the aftermath of the killing of a doctor and a health employee at the Batticaloa hospital by unidentified gunmen over the weekend.

A Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry release said a gamut of problem encountered by doctors in the North and East including transport and food problems were discussed at length during the conference.

The Minister also directed officials to provide leave and official Ministry transport to doctors attending the funeral of the slain medical officer today.

The Minister said health services in the North and East would be continued at greater rigour notwithstanding isolated attacks made by the frustrated terrorist leaders.

He also said a majority of every batch of new doctors recruited by the Ministry would be posted to hospitals in the North and East in future. The Ministry would never allow a repetition of such untoward incidents in the future, the Minister.

He also requested doctors and other health staff to be more vigilant in carrying out their duties in future.

A request made by doctors for a week’s time to report back to work was turned down as impractical by Ministry officials. However they were given two to three days time to report to their stations until the funeral of the slain doctor was over.