The payment of the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance for doctors, which was recently increased by Rs. 35,000, has been temporarily suspended due to insufficient funds, the Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena said.

In a letter to all directors of government hospitals and heads of institutions, the Director General of Health Services states that although the necessary arrangements have been made for the payment of the said allowance, the Treasury has not provided funds within the approved allocation limit.

He further mentioned that the Secretary of the Ministry of Health has informed him to temporarily suspend the payment of the DAT allowance which was decided to be increased by Rs. 35,000 to Rs, 70,000, until the issue is resolved by the Treasury.

Against this backdrop, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) announced that it has decided to launch an indefinite strike starting from tomorrow (Jan. 24). Thus, government doctors will commence the strike from 08.00 a.m. tomorrow until further notice, as the government has temporarily suspended the DAT allowance, the GMOA said.

On January 08, the Cabinet of Ministers gave its approval to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to double the DAT allowance paid to government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.

Since then, the health sector employees’ trade unions representing a wide range of health sector professionals, including radiology and laboratory technicians, pharmacists and drug compounders, midwives, Public Health Inspectors, and entomology officers have launched strikes on multiple occasions in protest of the government’s decision and demanding an allowance increase for all health sector employees.