Nurses strike a flop

Nadira Gunatilleke

The sick leave campaign by some members of two trade unions at Maharagama Cancer Hospital was a total failure with members of Armed Forces assisting to ensure a smooth service and the largest nurses' trade union and other trade unions refusing for join the campaign, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said the Ministry agreed to provide all the demands presented by the nurses engaged in carrying out chemotherapy treatment to cancer patients. Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva agreed to grant all the demands except one demand a risk allowance of Rs.10,000. Minister De Silva promised to grant this allowance at a later stage.

The Ministry made arrangements to bring down specialists from Australia and train the nurses according to their request and send five nurses to Australia for a special training. Two chemotherapy machines are now in operation and the Ministry will provide two more machines shortly. The Ministry also provided ten pharmacists to ensure nurses are not placed at undue risk. Earlier the nurses had to mix the drugs used for chemotherapy.

The nurses who are engaged in chemotherapy treatment at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital refrained from carrying out their duties putting forward certain demands including a risk allowance of Rs.10,000 but the Ministry ensured that the cancer patients get all services by appointing 25 new nurses to the hospital.