The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has decided to further escalate its trade union action, despite the inconvenience caused to outpatients across the country, citing the Health Minister’s failure to comply with a written agreement and the timeline agreed upon at previous discussions.
GMOA Secretary Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa told The Sunday Times that a meeting will be held on Wednesday with Medical Officers (MOs) and Additional Medical Officers (AMOs) from all districts to discuss intensified trade union action, along with measures to minimise inconvenience to patients.
As part of the ongoing action, the GMOA has called on specialist-grade medical officers (consultants) to withdraw from cover duties and limit their work to officially assigned responsibilities. This move is aimed at reinforcing the union’s demand that doctors be recognised as an exclusive service category within the Sri Lanka Medical Service, with a separate salary structure comparable to that of the judiciary and the Attorney General’s Department.
The union has also reiterated several other demands, including the restoration of duty-free vehicle import concessions, which it says are essential for doctors to provide round-the-clock patient care. It has further called for the implementation of benefits under Public Administration Circular 22/99, which provides drivers, vehicles, and fuel to executive-grade state officers but excludes medical professionals.
Additionally, the GMOA has raised concerns over shortages of surgical consumables and essential drugs, attributing the crisis to procurement delays and poor distribution mechanisms. According to the union, drugs are sometimes available in stores but fail to reach hospitals.
The GMOA has also demanded that the Disturbance, Availability, and Transport (DAT) Allowance be converted into a fixed allowance and incorporated into the basic salary, citing what it describes as administrative harassment under the current system. The union states that calculations indicate state-sector doctors should receive Rs. 270,000, but currently receive only Rs. 70,000. It has called for an immediate salary increase, noting that the Treasury had recommended a salary scale of Rs. 120,000 in 2018.
