Health sector employees to go on strike tomorrow

The health sector employees’ trade unions will launch another 24-hour token strike starting from 06.30 a.m. tomorrow (Jan. 16), in protest of the government’s decision to increase the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance for doctors by Rs. 35,000.

President of the Paramedical Services Front (PMSF) Upul Rohana stressed that the Minister of Health has not provided any discussion regarding their demands.

He mentioned that therefore, around 100,000 health workers including all paramedical services, hospital secretaries, administrative officers as well as health administrative assistants, minor staff and 75 other trade unions of the health staff will join together with this island-wide strike.

“This action will completely disrupt the hospital service. The government should understand that it is not possible to maintain medical services only with the doctors”, Upul Rohana said.

Meanwhile, the President of the Academy of Health Professionals Ravi Kumudesh expressed that if military forces are used to suppress the health workers’ strike, they will continue to carry out the trade union action even further.