Docs decide unanimously to strike

March 11, 2012, 9:38 pm , The Island.

By Don Asoka Wijewardena

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) General Committee yesterday unanimously decided to launch a country-wide strike after March 13 to protest the non-payment of their agreed Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) Allowance. The exact date of the trade union action would be finalized on March 13.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Treasury Chief Dr. P. B. Jayasundara, Secretary to the Health Ministry Dr. Ravindra Ruberu and the Salaries and Cadre Commission had agreed to pay Rs. 29,000 as DAT Allowance in 2008, but doctors had been paid only Rs. 15,000 up to now, GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Nalin Ariyaratne told The Island.Dr. Ariyaratne said that when the GMOA delegation met President Rajapaksa in 2008 over the issue, he agreed with the GMOA’s demand to increase the DAT Allowance as he was convinced that it was a reasonable demand. President Rajapaksa had requested the GMOA to wait for a while to obtain the full allowance as the government’s expenditure had skyrocketed at the time due to the war.

Most doctors were unable to make both ends meet due to high accommodation and fuel costs. Although it was a genuine plea of the GMOA, it had fallen on deaf ears. Doctors had been discriminated against in this regard as other high ranking public officials were being paid Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 80,000 as transport allowance. This was a great injustice meted out to doctors, he said.

Dr. Ariyaratne added that doctors attached to all main and base hospitals would keep away from work except emergency services. Treatment Required in Acute General Emergencies (TRIAGE) would be attended but inpatients and outpatients would be affected in the hospitals. The GMOA had no alternative but to take the strong trade union action to win its demands.

"The GMOA is not affiliated to any political party. It is a trade union established to protect the welfare 16,000 doctors. Due to spiraling cost of living doctors find it difficult to live near hospitals. Some doctors do not have their own cars and they have to come from far away. The long delay in the non-payment of the DAT Allowance to doctors cannot be tolerated by the GMOA any longer," Dr. Ariyaratne stressed.