COLOMBO – Amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, nurses in Sri Lanka went on a 24-hour strike on Monday (31), a move that could seriously affect the country’s COVID-19 response.
Organized by the All Ceylon Nurses’ Union (ACNU) demanding vaccination against COVID-19 and solutions to several issues faced by the nurse, the six-leave trade union action will end at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday (June 1).
ACNU General Secretary, S. B. Mediwatta, accused the government of ignoring nursing staff at hospitals in and around Colombo in Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The hospitals include the National Hospital and the Eye Hospital, Mediwatta told reporters on Sunday (30).
The trade union leader also said nurses have been complaining about the shortage of masks, PPE kits, and surgical masks and that the union has handed over a list containing eight key demands to the government. He also accused the government of failing to provide adequate transport facilities to nurses around the country at a time when strict travel restrictions have been imposed.
“Nurses have to spend their own money for transport to report to work,” he said, adding that repeated requests for relief have fallen on deaf ears.
Government inaction has led to the sick leave campaign, he said.
COVID-19 is already on rising in Sri Lanka, and the discovery of the B.1.617 variant- which was responsible for India’s disastrous Covid surge- has further alarmed Sri Lankan authorities.
The country on Monday reported 2882 new cases and 43 deaths. Opposition leaders in the country are now increasingly questioning the government’s mishandling of the COVID-19 situation and the vaccination rollout.
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