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| Sunday, 8 December 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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At Govt. hospitals : Tug-o-war leaves patients at God's mercy by Shanika Sriyananda Liyanage While the tug-o-war between paramedics and the Health Ministry, continuing for the eleventh day, the government hospitals islandwide function as usual with the nurses as replacement for the paramedics, the Ministry sources told the 'Sunday Observer'. Patients were asked to purchase drugs from the Osu Sala outlets and the urgent tests from private laboratories. " There is no cost for the patients and the bills will be settled by the hospitals. The total amount paid for tests at private hospitals during the strike had to be calculated later', said an official of the Ministry adding that it would run into millions. Dr. Hector Weerasinghe, Director of the Colombo National Hospital (CNH) said that drugs were directly issued by the Medical Supply Department (MSD) of the Ministry which will be dispensed by the matrons. " Urgent investigations could be done in private laboratories", he said. Dr. V.S.P. Pannila, Directress of the De Soyza Maternity Hospital for Women, also said that the necessary drugs, especially antibiotics, were issued by the MSD and urgent tests were done in a private laboratory. The main demand of the paramedics is to cancel the Junaid Commission Report, which brought the Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and the Family Health Officers to the paramedics grade and two salary increments given to the nurses. Over 3,000 paramedics including radiologists, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are now on strike. Assistant Secretary of the Joint Council of Profession Supplementary to Medicine (JCPSM) M.K.C.Nalaka claim that the Colombo National Hospital had to pay over Rs. 3 million to private hospitals for lab tests including MRI and CT scanning tests, daily, since the trade union action began. " But the authorities pay no attention to solve this strike", he said. Dhammika Piyathilake, Vice President of the Society of Government Pharmacists Union, alleged that the Ministry of Health was reluctant to reach an agreement with the JCPSM members because the government intends to privatize some of the important sections of the Ministry. " We see this as a first step towards privatization. The cleaning service and the security section of the CNH have already been given to the private sector", he claimed. |
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