September 02, Colombo (LNW): The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has announced plans to launch widespread protests tomorrow (03), condemning what it describes as a biased and unjust disciplinary investigation against one of its senior members.
The protests are in response to a disciplinary inquiry initiated by the Ministry of Health against Dr Palitha Rajapaksha, the Assistant Secretary of the GMOA and a senior medical professional at Badulla Teaching Hospital.
The inquiry targets Dr Rajapaksha due to his efforts in highlighting the severe drug shortage at the hospital in 2022, an issue that the GMOA claims was of critical importance to patient care and public health, the Union claimed.
Dr Rajapaksha, known for his active role in trade union activities, has been accused of violating the establishment code, with the inquiry portraying his efforts to expose flaws within the health sector as serious misconduct.
The GMOA argues that this disciplinary action is both partial and unfounded, raising concerns about potential political motivations behind the inquiry.
The association has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Health’s handling of the situation, alleging that their repeated appeals to senior government officials and higher authorities have been disregarded.
The GMOA believes that this inquiry sets a dangerous precedent for trade union rights and could stifle the ability of medical professionals to advocate for necessary changes within the healthcare system.
In a recent meeting, the GMOA resolved to take significant trade union action in support of Dr Rajapaksha. The planned protests will take place at hospitals across all districts, with the GMOA warning the government that failure to address their concerns could lead to escalated union action.
