by Irosha Weththasingha
More than 1000 doctors in the Central Province are threatening to go on a strike from tomorrow protesting over the decision taken by the Health Ministry secretary to send the acting Provincial Health Director for the Central Province back to Kurunegala hospital, GMOA secretary Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya said yesterday.

Dr. Padeniya said that for more than 3 years majority of the provincial health administration posts remain vacant. "In fact more than 60% of the Provincial Director and Deputy Provincial Director Posts are vacant at the moment" Dr. Padeniya said. This year Dr. Ananda Gunesekere who was the director of Kurunegala Hospital was appointed as the acting Provincial Health Director for the Central Province by the ministry secretary. "The GMOA had been pointing out these vacant positions for years without being heard by the authorities, so when this appointment came we welcomed it, even as a temporary measure because the administration was in chaos" Dr. Padeniya said.

The Health Ministry secretary Thilak Ranaviraja has issued a letter riverting Dr. Gunesekere's services back to Kurunegala Hospital with immediate effect from June 1. The GMOA is alleging that there are sinister motives and political influence behind the move. Dr. Padeniya points out that the acting director had sent flying squads and had managed to catch several health care workers who were engaged in private practice during their duty hours. "These workers were suspended and now they are trying to get back at the acting director by using political influence" GMOA secretary alleged. He also alleged that the health secretary is trying to fill the vacancy with a non medical person.

"If a new appointment has been made for the post the order is reasonable but no such thing has happened" Dr. Padeniya said insisting that the health secretary is under political influence. He also pointed out that such meaningless decisions only deteriorate the standards of the health service. "The acting director took the best possible action to safeguard the medical service, what we want is to keep him in the position until the vacancy is filled permanently" he said. The GMOA secretary said that even the provincial health minister has opposed the move to remove the acting director.

"All the doctors working in Central Province hospitals will go on a strike from 8 am tomorrow if the order is not withdrawn and if the problem is not solved within 3 days there is a possibility of a countrywide strike" Dr. Padeniya said.