May 27, Colombo (LNW): A fresh wave of industrial unrest is sweeping through Sri Lanka’s health sector, as professionals from key allied medical fields initiated a strike action today over longstanding grievances.
Beginning at 8.00 a.m., medical laboratory technologists and physiotherapists—classified under the Supplementary Medical Services—have withdrawn from their duties, demanding redress on five core issues that they say have been ignored for far too long.
The strike, coordinated by the Joint Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine (JCPSM), underscores growing discontent among health sciences graduates who claim they have been subjected to years of systemic injustice, particularly in relation to career advancement and promotional pathways.
According to JCPSM General Secretary Chanaka Dharmawickrama, unless the government acts decisively and swiftly to address these concerns, the trade union action is likely to continue indefinitely.
This disruption adds further strain to an already overburdened healthcare system, which has been grappling with medicine shortages, disease outbreaks, and administrative inefficiencies in recent months.
The professionals participating in this strike play a critical role in patient care, from diagnostics to rehabilitation, and their absence is expected to have significant ripple effects across public hospitals and medical institutions.
In a sign of growing solidarity, other unions aligned with the supplementary health services have indicated their readiness to join the strike if the authorities fail to initiate a dialogue.
The JCPSM’s leadership has already begun informal coordination with several of these groups to explore the possibility of a broader mobilisation, should the standoff escalate.
Meanwhile, tensions are also simmering within the ranks of the medical doctors. The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), one of the most influential trade unions in the healthcare sector, has issued its own warning to the authorities. Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, the organisation’s media spokesperson, has demanded the issuance of a revised circular that clearly sets out the amended guidelines on doctors’ overtime and holiday allowances.
According to the GMOA, a failure to resolve this issue within the coming week could lead to yet another phase of trade union activity, compounding the existing unrest.
