The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) kicked off its island-wide strike action which is based on seven demands, from 8.00 a.m. today (December 21).
The association noted that the doctors are continuing to provide emergency treatment services uninterrupted at all hospitals across the country.
It also said that strikes will not be carried out at maternity hospitals, children’s hospitals, cancer hospitals and kidney diseases treatment units.
The GMOA had launched a 24-hour token strike last morning at all hospitals and medical institutions in Mannar, Trincomalee, Ratnapura, Nuwara-Eliya and Polonnaruwa districts. They were protesting against the role of the Secretary to the Ministry of Health in granting post-internship appointments.
The chairman of Government Nursing Officers’ Association, Saman Rathnapriya stressed that they would resort to a continuous strike starting from the first week of next month if the issues faced by health professionals are not resolved.
According to Ada Derana correspondents, people in many areas have been inconvenienced by the ongoing trade union action.
