Doctors Poised to Strike in East

Medical officers affiliated to all government hospitals and medical centres in the Eastern Province would launch a strike on April 11, if the Eastern Province Governor Rohitha Bogollagama continues to turn down their requests for talks on their problems, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said day before yesterday.

Addressing the media, the GMOA secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that many medical officers, serving in the Eastern Province, had been facing death threats, physical harassment and interference while on duty, mainly from politicians in the area and unidentified groups.

Medical officers at the Kalmunai Ashraf Memorial Hospital, Kalmune Northern Hospital, Samanthurai Base Hospital, Wettipalayam District Hospital and Eravur General Hospital in the Eastern Province had faced attacks and threats over the past few years, Dr. Aluthge said.

The GMOA Secretary added that the doctors wanted to take up with the Governor several other issues including Indian medical officers conducting mobile clinics in the East, the misuse of World Bank funds and the delay in paying doctors’ overtime. A group of GMOA representatives in the East who attempted to take up those issues at a meeting with Governor Bogollagama on March 29 had been threatened, said Dr. Aluthge.

 Dr. Niroshana Liyanage, the GMOA Provincial coordinator for the Eastern Province added that the GMOA no longer allowed specialist doctors to be stationed in the Eastern province due to lack of security and many medical officers were also reluctant to serve in the area for the same reason.