November 17, Colombo (LNW): The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) is poised to launch a new round of industrial action from 8 a.m. today, following what its members describe as long-standing frustrations over unresolved problems within the public health sector.
According to the union, this latest move stems from dissatisfaction with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s 2026 Budget, which they argue offers little in the way of meaningful solutions to challenges faced by medical professionals and the wider health service.
As part of their protest, doctors across state-run hospitals are expected to restrict a range of non-emergency services. Among the measures proposed are tighter limits on writing prescriptions that require patients to purchase medication from private pharmacies, as well as more stringent referrals for laboratory tests carried out outside the public system.
Union representatives maintain that these steps are intended to highlight mounting pressure on medical staff and to press the government for swift, concrete reforms.
