The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has decided to call off the planned indefinite strike action which was slated to commence from tomorrow (Jan. 24).
This decision has been reached after the Director General of Health Services, issuing a written notification to the Directors and Heads of all Health Institutions had canceling with immediate effect the previous letter announcing the suspension of the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance of doctors for the month of January.
(Previous News on 23rd January, 2023 at 4:05pm)
Doctors & Dentists to strike over DAT suspension
The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) and the The Government Dental Surgeons’ Association (GDSA) have announced their decision to launch a strike starting from tomorrow (Jan. 24) over the government’s decision to suspended the recently announced Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance for doctors over insufficient funds.
In a letter to all directors of government hospitals and heads of institutions, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena has stated 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.
In this backdrop, the GMOA has announced that they will go on strike indefinitely, starting from 08.00 a.m. tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the GDSA states that the duration and specifics of the strike will be decided at an emergency executive committee meeting of the GDSA scheduled for tomorrow.
Noting that they regret the inconvenience this action may cause to the public, the GDSA emphasizes that the responsibility for any service breakdown and resultant public inconvenience lies squarely with the officials of the Finance Ministry.
