President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed relevant officials to take steps to grant the nurses’ trade union demands while considering the financial situation of the country and without affecting the overall government services. 

"Health care services, including medicine and nursing, are highly valued. Understanding the financial situation in the country, take steps to provide approved nurses’ issues in a manner that does not affect the entire public service."

This was stated by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat, today (17) at the request of the Public Service United Nurses’ Association.

Establishment of the Nursing University, promotion of Nursing Officers from Grade Il to Grade I with retrospective effect by backdating the promotion, 36 hours of duty to be treated as 30 hours duty of 5 days a week, providing of Rs. 10,000 allowance proportionate to the DTA allowance of Rs. 35,000 to medical professionals, the issuance of the Uniform Allowance Circular and the Additional Service Allowance at the rate of 1/100 of the basic salary were discussed during the meeting.

The President instructed the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Senior Professor Sampath Amaratunga, to amend the Higher Education Act and present it to the Parliament expeditiously, and to take further necessary steps to merge nursing colleges in order to create a national university. 

Mr. Amaratunga stated that the Higher Education Act would be presented to the Parliament within April and the Nursing University would be established before the end of May.

The President instructed the Secretaries of Health and Finance to make arrangements to backdate the promotions from Grade II to Grade 1 and grant the uniform allowance.

Despite the difficulties, steps were taken to pay an allowance of Rs. 5,000 to all public sector employees from January, the President said. “When delivering the requests of one group, another group makes a request again.”

However, it is important for everyone to understand that not all demands can be considered in the midst of the current financial crisis, he emphasized. 

Therefore, the President instructed the officials to discuss with the Ministry of Finance and other institutions and pay attention to the requests of nurses in a manner that does not affect the entire public service.

The President of the Public Service United Nurses Union, Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera, Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella, Secretary to the President Gamini Senarath, Finance Secretary S. R. Attygalle, Health Secretary Major General Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Director General of the National Budget Jude Nilukshan, Director General of the Public Service Commission Hiransa Kaluthanthri, Secretary of the National Salaries Commission Chandrani Senaratne and members of Public Service United Nurses Association were present at the occasion.