The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) initiated a 24-hour island-wide symbolic strike from 8:00 AM today (March 31), protesting alleged unfair and politically motivated medical officer transfers. The union, through Assistant Secretary Dr. Hansamal Weerasuriya, cited concerns over post-intern placements and difficult service station classifications, claiming lists were manipulated without consultation. In response, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated at a Cabinet press briefing that the government is implementing a formal transfer mechanism to ensure justice for doctors. Approximately 6,000 transfers are scheduled by May 10, a process that began in the first week of February. The strike has caused significant inconvenience to patients across the country, particularly in estate regions, with the GMOA warning of further action if their grievances are not addressed.
The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA)'s 24-hour symbolic strike, which commenced on March 31, officially concluded today (April 1) at 8:00 AM. GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe announced that the union's future course of action regarding the transfer dispute will be decided at an emergency executive committee meeting scheduled for later today.
The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has further accused the current government and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa of attempting to compel doctors into service by force.
Further elaborating on the transfer process, Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa asserted that preparing transfer lists is "not a union's job," emphasizing that it falls under the purview of the Health Ministry. He detailed that the Ministry, in consultation with health service directors and provincial health service directors, conducted several rounds of discussions to establish a "difficult service list" based on seven specific criteria. A list of 265 doctors was subsequently prepared and published through this process.