By Namini Wijedasa
Doctors in the North and East Friday called off a strike which they had launched in favour of a risk allowance, although they did not get their demand.

Doctors native to the North and East went on strike on Monday requesting that they, too, be given the allowance paid to doctors from outside areas serving there. The Action Front of North-East Doctors, as their alliance was called, said it was unfair to pay outside doctors more when everyone faced the same difficulties. The risk allowance amounts to 8,000 rupees a month.

Health Minister John Seneviratne, who met representatives of the striking doctors yesterday morning, told them that the government would "never concede" to their demand. He agreed, however, to consider a fresh request from them that the risk allowance given to outside doctors be withdrawn completely so that all doctors in the North and East are placed on par with each other. But, this would be subject to assent by the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA).

"I told them that I was willing to withdraw the risk allowance if the GMOA agrees because the union had fought hard for the incentive to be introduced," Minister Seneviratne said. He is expected to consult the GMOA.

The action front had been persuaded to return to work and await further communication from the government. A medical officer in the Batticaloa hospital confirmed that the strike had ended at 4 p.m. yesterday as a "compromise" had been reached.

Minister Seneviratne explained to the North-East doctors that doctors from other areas serving there undergo many more difficulties than they do. "They are away from their homes and relatives and are unfamiliar with the land, people and language," he said. "These are only a few of the hurdles they have to overcome."