GMOA stages protest over taxation, other issues
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka’s Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) staged a protest demonstration in front of the National Hospital Colombo on Wednesday (11) over a number of concerns including taxation and salary issues.
The GMOA said in a statement that the protest was over various issues plaguing the medical sector including medicine shortages and the alleged importation of substandard medicines.
Secretary GMOA, Dr Haritha Aluthge, told the privately owned television channel during the demonstration that the government has not been forthcoming on a solution to the doctors’ grievances on a controversial personal income tax increase and other issues.
“Do justice by the doctors who didn’t leave this country, especially in terms of economic justice,” Dr Aluthge urged, adding that Wednesday demonstration was a symbolic one to show the leaders of the country the GMOA would not hesitate to go into for strike action if the government continues to be insensitive to this issue.
Dr Aluthge said the demonstration was being held during the doctors’ lunch hour without any interruptions to their hospital duties and that it was attended by state-sector doctors from all over the island.
The protest was being held against a backdrop of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlighting Sri Lanka’s failure to meet revenue targets.
In its statement, the GMOA noted that over 1,500 doctors including specialist doctors have left the country owing to salary issues and purportedly unsuitable work environments in hospitals.
The GMOA said in the statement the health ministry must expend its energies on protecting Sri Lanka’s existing health professionals rather than “threatening” them and opening private medical colleges.
The doctors’ demands include a new remuneration structure, updating transport allowances and broadening the scope for postgraduate studies. A document listing eight such demands have already been handed over to the health ministry, the GMOA said.
The association also decided at a recent meeting that union action must be taken in protest of “irresponsible and inefficient” acts of Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.
The GMOA, which has planned demonstrations and public meetings at the district level, said it will not hesitate to intensify union action if the “health minister and health ministry fail to do justice by the medical community of this country”.
-economynext.com
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