Islandwide strike against SAITM on April 7

Doctors will launch an islandwide public and private sector strike on April 7 morning, in protest of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).

The continuation of the strike will be decided by 4.00 pm on the same day.

Discussions are underway with doctors who conduct full time private sector service to halt all private health services, Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) Secretary Dr. Navin De Zoysa said. 

Addressing a press conference held at the GMOA head Quarters in Colombo today he said that the strike will continue if the GMOA Executive Committee decides to do so at 4.00 pm meeting on the same day.

Dentists, Ayurvedic doctors, Veterinary surgeons and others will take part in the strike, he said. 

The Government should take the responsibility for all the difficulties to be faced by patients due to the strike because it had dragged the SAITM issue for months, he said. 

He said solutions to the issue had been handed over to the Government by the GMOA, State Medical faculty deans and the Lecturers' Union of the State Medical Faculties.

However, Dr. Zoysa said, accident services, maternity hospitals, children's hospitals, the cancer hospital, kidney hospital and dialysis units and places where dengue affected child patients are being treated in the Trincomalee district will not be affected by the strike and all services will continue in them.

The services will continue in those institutions without any interruption, he said. 

This week will be named as the Anti-SAITM Week and several political parties and their trade unions will also join in the country-wide protests against SAITM, he said. 

Jathika Hela Urumaya, JVP, Front Line Socialist Party, Joint Opposition are some of the parties that have promised to join. 

An anti-SAITM walk will commence opposite Colombo National Hospital at 11.00 am on April 7 and the public meeting will take place opposite Fort railway station, he said.