Doctors temporarily suspended vaccination under the National Immunisation Programme, due to the dilemma surrounding the two rubella deaths in Matara and Kurunegala districts. Secretary, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), Dr. B. T. Gunasekara, said yesterday (19), that the two deaths had occurred due to anaphylactic shock following the rubella vaccination.

He said the membership had taken a unanimous decision to temporarily halt rubella vaccination on an islandwide basis. However, the Health Minister and his officials have continued to take baseless action against the medical officers following the two incidents which has led to several issues in continuing with the National Immunisation Programme. "It has forced us to reconsider our stand and extend it to the entire National Immunisation Programme."

Dr. Gunasekara said a special discussion had been held between Health Secretary, the Deputy Director General, Public Health, Chief Epidemiologist and the District Medical Officers of Kurunegala and Matara, where there was a pledge made by the Health Secretary that medical officers would be presented with guidelines so that no one could point a finger at them and blame them for such unforeseen incidents in the future.

The Union is also keeping tabs on the proceedings of the recent drug and injection phial scandals and the research carried out by the Ministry on the quality, efficiency and safety of these drugs, the GMOA Secretary stated.