A lady doctor attached to Eye hospital of Colombo has been threatened by a group of Government Medical Officers Association members over the testing samples of PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests, Lankasra learns.
A few weeks ago, all employees except the doctors withdrew from taking the samples, protesting against the increase in the risk allowance only for doctors. Rapid antigen testing and PCR testing are currently performed on all who seek inpatient treatments and surgeries in hospitals, which is extremely important as hospitals continue to maintain other therapies.
In the event of nobody performing sample taking Medical officers performed such duties with the auspicious of The Government Medical Officers ‘Association (GMOA). However, in lieu of this sampling GMOA has demanded extra allowance which was declined by the Ministry of health. Following the ministry’s stand, GMOA asked their members to refrain from Covid test sampling. However, doctors have done so in good faith and voluntarily.
It is said that the doctors of the Government Medical Officers’ Association who were influencing their members to refrain from taking such patient samples have recently threatened a female doctor who was doing this work alone. It is said that this doctor has done this work tirelessly in the background of the absence of other medical officers, despite strong protests from the Government Medical Officers’ Association.
She is said to be under heavy stress in this situation and this tendency has reportedly affected some of the other doctors who perform this duty as well.
However, we made several attempts to contact Dr Ajith Dantanarayana, Director of the Colombo Eye Hospital and Dr Senal Fernando, Secretary of the Government Medical Officers’ Association, to inquire about the situation and the steps taken in this regard, but they did not respond.
