‘Removed’ official still powerful at Health Ministry, says GM

An official who had been removed by Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne from the Transfer Board which handles doctors’ transfers, is still very active and blocks all functions of the Board and even prevents the implementation of orders given by the Health Ministry Secretary Anura Jayawickrama, Government Medical Officers’Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Navin De Zoysa said.

Addressing a press conference held at the GMOA Head Office in Colombo yesterday Dr. Zoysa said that the removed official is preventing the implementation of orders given by Health Ministry Secretary Anura Jayawickrama in connection with doctors’ transfers in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The official had been removed as a result of a discussion held with Minister Dr. Senaratne on the intervention of President Maithripala Sirisena. But it seems he is much more powerful than the Health Minister.

According to Dr. Zoysa, the disciplinary inquiry commenced on the officials who ignore the orders of the Transfer Board is not complete yet and no action has been taken against such officials. Due to the `operation’ and intervention of the already removed officials, all transfers of doctors will be delayed until April. He is now changing the lists specially finalised by the Board.

Meanwhile a `Health Ministry Spokesman ‘ is issuing media statements stating that it was the GMOA which was behind closing down peripheral hospitals. A special central committee meeting will be held on January 19th (today) in order to discuss these issues and to take appropriate decisions, he added.