News
GMOA issues ultimatum to govt., warns of impending hospital closures
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) central committee, on Wednesday (27), decided to take legal action against any unlawful attempts by the government to harass doctors who are leaving the country, Secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge said.
Dr. Aluthge told The Island that the GMOA had been asking the government, since 2022, to solve the exodus of medical professionals.
“The government has proposed the establishment of private medical colleges as a solution to the shortage of doctors. Even if we imagine this as a solution, it will take six years for them to produce doctors. Even if these medical colleges are established next week, they can’t produce doctors until late 2029. Is it that the government expects people to suffer without doctors in government hospitals for six years?” he asked.
Dr. Aluthge said some henchmen of the government had said they could bring doctors from other countries. The starting basic salary of a medical specialist in Sri Lanka is 88,000 rupees, which is less than 300 US dollars, he said.
“If foreign medical consultants are to be hired, the government will have to pay least USD 10,000 each. Can we afford that?” he asked.
The GMOA secretary said they would decide on a future course of action based on the response of the government in the next two weeks.
“We are identifying hospitals that are on the verge of closure. Thereafter, we will attach the remaining doctors in those hospitals to main government hospitals. There are many hospitals in the periphery operating without the most essential medicine and at 20 percent of required manpower.”
Following the conclusion of bilateral discussions between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, official-level talks between the delegations of Sri Lanka and India commenced this morning (05) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, along with other senior officials.
The Indian delegation included Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, along with several other senior officials of the Government of India.
Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who arrived in Sri Lanka on the invitation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake on Friday [04] night, visited the Presidential Secretariat this morning (05).
The Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake upon his arrival at the Presidential Secretariat.
Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to Sri Lanka, reaffirming the theme “Friendship of Centuries — Commitment to a Prosperous Future” which symbolises the longstanding ties between Sri Lanka and India. The Indian Premier is scheduled to remain in the country until tomorrow (06).
[PMD]
The official welcoming ceremony for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held this morning (05) at the Independence Square in Colombo.
On arrival at the Independence Square the Indian Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
Discussions between Sri Lankan and Indian delegations at the presidential secretariat
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Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrives at the presidential secretariat
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