We cannot work with daggers drawn- SLMA President

Edward Arambewala

"We cannot work with daggers drawn. The trade unions, professional associations, Ministry of Health, Universities and the SLMA, should sit down and discuss ways to resolve differences." said SLMA President Prof. Rezvi Sheriff in his message to the April issue of the SLMA news letter to be out next week.

The message goes on:

We can see team effort in action in the conflict zones. There are many players giving needed physical, nutritional, medical, health, social and emotional support. This we have seen in Sri Lanka during crises - bombs to tsunamis - in recent years.

What is worrying is the chronic bickering within the professions in healthcare. We do see a lot of team care going on in individual programs e.g. Cardiac By Bass Surgery, Dialysis and Transplantation etc.

This is due to specialised efforts to deliver effective care. The bickering appears in the general delivery of care, sharing resources between groups and the slightest mishap creates a flare up.

Doctors and nurses have worked close to each other for centuries.

Doctors and nurses have educational arms separately but they have helped each other. Some young doctors find it difficult to sit with a nurse and listen to a lecture. Some find it difficult to see a nurse use a stethoscope. I must say there are genuine fears, as expressed by a young PGIM MD returnee who had his prescriptions altered by a 'senior nurse practitioner in UK'.

So there are issues for the future. To what extent Sir Lankan medical profession will "tolerate" intrusion by the nursing profession. After all they too will claim independence as a profession. I think the SLMA has a role to play. International Agencies may set up nursing schools for export but we may need to make sure that there is a harmonious relationship with clear roles for support between the professions.

I think we cannot work daggers drawn. The trade unions, the professional associations, Ministry of Health, Universities and SLMA should sit down and discuss ways to resolve differences. At least let's identify where we agree and identify areas of disagreement.