Strike Temporary Halted Following Promise to a Discussion with the President

by Lankasara Editor English

February 2, 2024

in News

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - MAY 02: Sri Lankan patients wait to receive drugs in a medicines issue counter at Colombo South Teaching Hospital on May 02, 2022 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan nation is facing its worst financial crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948, with record inflation leading to shortages of fuel, cooking gas and essential food, and crippling hours-long power blackouts imposed. In addition, there is a shortage of drugs and medical equipment. State and private hospital industries, doctors and trade unions alarm over the critical shortages of drugs and medical equipment, if immediate steps are not taken to replenish supplies medical system could drive an escalation in deaths due to lack of life-saving drugs. Around 85 percent of its pharmaceutical products in the country are imported and paid by US dollars, lack of US dollars forced to shortage of medicines. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)

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The Government Radiological Technologists Association has announced a temporary end to the strike initiated by all health workers except doctors. The strike cessation is set to take effect at 6:30 tomorrow (03) morning.

Union President Chanaka Dharmavikrama conveyed that this decision follows the intervention of the President. An agreement has been reached to engage in discussions with the President’s Secretary and the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance next Tuesday (06).

If the contributors fail to provide satisfactory responses, the health workers’ strike will resume next Wednesday (07). The temporary suspension aims to facilitate dialogue and seek resolutions to the concerns raised by health workers during this period of industrial action.