The protesting nurses at the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama say they will resume chemotherapy administration if the government agrees to provide proper training and protective gear.

About 327 nurses of the Maharagama hospital boycotted the administration of chemotherapy for the third consecutive day yesterday.

Nurses accuse the Health Ministry of trying to distract the attention of the public from their legitimate demand for training and protective gear by harping on the risk allowance at issue.

The callous attitude of the health authorities had resulted in the protraction of their trade union action, nurses told The Island yesterday.

Lives of about 500 cancer patients are at risk due to the nurses’ protest, cancer specialists point out. The longer they are denied chemotherapy, the worse their conditions get, doctors said.

Facilities for the administration of chemotherapy had been substandard since 1970 and no action had been taken by successive governments to upgrade them in spite of a number of protests and reminders, nurses’ claim.