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GMOA declares inoculation of family members received necessary approval

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… questions journalists’ integrity and exploitation of frequencies

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) says the inoculation of the family members of doctors against the fast spreading Covid-19 pandemic was done with government approval. The GMOA said so at a media briefing on Tuesday (25) attended by its Secretary Dr. Senal Fernando, Assistant Secretary Dr. Naveen De Zoysa, General Committee member Prasad Kolombage and Media Committee member Dr. Hansamal Weerasuriya at their trade union office.

When the media sought an explanation as to why and how family members of doctors had been given priority in receiving the second dose of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, Dr. De Zoysa said that families of nurses as well as other health workers, too, had received the same vaccine.

Dr. De Zoysa emphasised that family members of doctors weren’t the only group benefited by the ongoing vaccination programme. The GMOA Assistant Secretary was referring to the programme launched on Monday (24) to vaccinate families of doctors and others in the health sector.

 Dr. De Zoysa said that those who had received the first Oxford AstraZeneca jab four and and a half months ago had been given booster doses. Responding to another query, Dr. De Zoysa said that the inoculation programme had been carried out with all necessary approvals and an investigation could be conducted in that regard.

The GMOA Spokesperson faulted the media for pursuing an agenda seriously inimical to the overall effort to bring the situation under control. At the onset of the question and answer session, Dr. De Zoysa alleged that a section of the media raised issues in a manner that gave the wrong impression to the public.

 Pointing out that the reportage of the issues at hand related to the Covid-19 situation undermined their efforts, Dr. De Zoysa said all segments of the society, including the media, were at risk. The GMOA official told the journalist who raised the issue that he, too, was in danger due to the rampaging Covid-19 virus.

 At the onset of the briefing, Dr. Zoysa warned of dire consequences if the two-week long travel restrictions, imposed till June 7 failed to produce the desired results. Underscoring their role in the overall efforts to convince the government to declare a two-week closure of the country, Dr. De Zoysa said that a section of the media seemed hell-bent on sabotaging ongoing efforts.

 Dr. De Zoysa reminded television channels frequencies that had been allocated to them belonged to the people therefore they couldn’t cause turmoil at the time of what he called a national calamity.

 Responding to another query over the continuing controversy over doctors’ families being given special status, Dr. De Zoysa asked the media whether the GMOA objected to journalists being given vaccines ahead of others?

 Dr. De Zoysa questioned the attitude of the media and how they approached the issue at a time politicians and others were criticised. Asserting that a section of the media had been utterly irresponsible and in some instances sought financial benefit at the expense of much needed stability, Dr. Zoysa emphasised that he was prepared to answer any question. The GMOA official revealed that one of his media contacts, who had showed some symptoms of Covid-19 in spite of being repeatedly advised by him to seek treatment, stayed at home.

Alleging that how those who advised the country responded to the life threatening situation, Dr. De Zoysa said that the journalist was tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Dr. De Zoysa said that there was another journalist at the media briefing who caused trouble and acted in a manner that undermined their anti-Corona project.

 Dr. De Zoysa said that the GMOA strongly believed that the entire population should be inoculated. The media could discuss disputed matters some other time but the immediate requirement was to educate the public of ways and means to meet the daunting Covid-19 challenge.

 Dr. De Zoysa said that he would be able to reveal the identities of those trade union leaders who received the vaccination along with their families as well as activists assigned to offices. The GMOA official in no uncertain terms questioned the honesty and the integrity of the media and their institutions. The GMOA spokesperson said that some of those causing mayhem over the vaccination of doctors’ families hadn’t at least prepared lists necessary to carry out such a project.

 Addressing the media on Monday (24), Dr. De Zoysa said that the plan to inoculate their family members were taken at a much higher level and some persons in the health administration could be unaware of the development.



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GMOA swings into action on Vithana’s disclosure of MPs’ salaries, etc.

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MP Vithana / Dr. Sugathadasa

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has sought an explanation from Parliament regarding how PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is applied to parliamentarians.

GMOA Secretary Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa has written to the Secretary General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, in terms of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Information was sought on 09 July, 2025, in the wake of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Kalutara district parliamentarian Jagath Vithana posting his pay sheets from January to May this year on his Facebook.

In addition to information on PAYE, the GMOA has posed a number of other questions to the Secretary General regarding the parliamentarians’ salary as well as pensions.

Parliament passed the RTI Act on 24 June, 2016, and it came into effect on 03 February, 2017. This act, introduced through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, in 2015, is meant to promote transparency and accountability in government.

New controversy has erupted in the wake of Nawa Janatha Peramuna lodging a complaint with the CIABOC seeking an investigation into Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne abusing public property, a claim denied by the Secretary General of Parliament.

According to Vithana’s May pay sheet, his monthly allowance is Rs. 54,285, entertainment allowance Rs 1,000, telephone allowance Rs 50,000, sitting allowance Rs 5,000, office allowance Rs 100,000, fuel allowance Rs 97,428.92 and transport allowance Rs. 15,000. His take home pay is Rs 317, 760.92 after the deduction of Rs 1,200 for catering, stamp duty Rs. 25 and Advance Personal Income Tax (APIT).

Asked whether he regretted the releasing of pay sheets, lawmaker Vithana told The Island that in the run-up to the last parliamentary elections, held in November 2024, he had promised the Kalutara electorate he wouldn’t draw his salary. The MP said that however, he later felt the salary should be accepted and used in support of public welfare projects undertaken by him. “Therefore, the money was used appropriately,” he said, adding that both the government and Opposition MPs reacted with resentment. “I feel sort of isolated in Parliament. Hardly anyone talks to me,” MP Vithana said.

Dr. Sugathadasa said that having perused the pay sheets posted online, the GMOA had felt the urgent need to seek a clarification from Parliament as the lawmakers appeared to have received special status. The top GMOA official emphasised they wanted to establish the truth and used the RTI law to obtain information regarding the MPs’ salaries, pensions and other related information. “The GMOA made the request on 09 July, 2025. We are confident the Parliament will answer our queries,” Dr. Sugathadasa said.

Parliament meets only eight days a month. Attendance is not compulsory and there is no fixed time for lawmakers to attend sittings. Over the years, sittings have been suspended for lack of quorum.

The Island asked the GMOA official whether they would seek the intervention of the RTI Commission in case the Parliament declined to reveal the information sought by them. Dr. Sugathadasa said that the Executive Committee of the GMOA would decide the course of action if Parliament withheld information.

A few years ago Chamara Sampath, of Wijeya Newspapers, successfully moved the Court of Appeal against the Parliament after the latter refused to disclose names of Members of Parliament (MPs) who had handed over their respective declarations of assets and liabilities in 2018 and list of names of MPs who have handed over their Declarations from 2010 to the time he made the request (21 June, 2018).

The Court on 28 February, 2023, reaffirmed the RTI Commission’s stand that Declarations of Assets and Liabilities Law of 1975 (DALL) didn’t prevail over the Right to Information Act no. 12 of 2016 (RTI Act).

According to the Parliament website, an MP is paid Rs. 54,285, entertainment allowance Rs 1,000, driver’s allowance Rs 3,500 (only if driver is not provided by government). Fuel allowances are paid based on the distance from Parliament to the electoral district which each MP was elected and the approved market price of one litre of diesel on the first day of every month, telephone allowance Rs 50,000, transport allowance for personal staff Rs 10,000, and stamps worth Rs 350,000 issued to each MP annually.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

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Udaya alleges Prez hasn’t given up efforts to bring in outsider as AG

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Sri Lanka Educator Service Lecturers’ Trade Union yesterday (14) protested outside the Education Ministry, demanding that the government address their grievances. (Pic by Nishan S. Priyantha)

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader and former Minister Udaya Gammanpila says President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has delayed making a permanent appointment to the post of Auditor General in a bid to bring in an outsider early next year.

Addressing the media yesterday (14), Attorney-at-Law Gammanpila said that three civil society members of the Constitutional Council, who opposed the President’s move, would be completing their term in early January next year. Instead of appointing Dharmapala Gammanpila as the Auditor General, the President had given him only an extension in service so as to get rid of him at the first available opportunity and bring in his crony from the Kelaniya University.

The former lawmaker said that the success of the President’s plan depended on the appointment of pliant civil society members to the CC, ready to help advance the NPP’s agenda.

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Poaching: 24 boats, 181 Indians taken into custody so far this year

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Fishermen taken into custody

In spite of specific warnings issued by fisheries minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar to Indian poachers, trawlers are continuously crossing the Indo-Lanka maritime boundary.

Navy headquarters yesterday (14) said that so far this year they have detained 24 Indian fishing boats and taken into custody 181 fishermen for poaching in Sri Lankan waters. The arrested included seven taken off the Delft Island, Jaffna in the early hours of Sunday.

Navy headquarters spokesman said that operations were conducted taking into account the harmful impact of prohibited fishing practices such as bottom trawling resorted to by Indian poachers, on the livelihood of local fishermen.

Having observed Indian fishing boats off Delft, the Northern Naval Command deployed its craft to drive away those Indian fishing boats from island waters, off the Delft Island.

The detained boat and Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankasanthurai Harbour and handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mailadi, Jaffna for legal proceedings.

Sailor disinfecting Indian boat (Pix courtesy Navy)

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