The issuing of Medicinal Drugs through the OPD Pharmacies,X Ray/Scan Tests,Laboratory Tests and Physiotherapy Treatment offered by around 125 government hospitals in Northern, Eastern and North Central Provinces were paralyzed today (06)due to the strike action launched by professions supplementary to medicine(PSM’s) hospital sources have revealed.
Due to this situation tens of thousands of patients have faced numerous difficulties the sources said.
However the striking PSM’s maintained the emergency services in the said hospitals and only the routine work has been cancelled during to day the sources added.although main hospitals like Jaffna,Trincomalee,Batticloe,Ampara,Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa issued chits for outdoor patients to purchase drugs from nearby government pharmacies the rural hospital patients returned home with empty handed as those hospitals are not provided such facility it has been revealed.
The PSM’s have launched the strike action since this morning by demanding solutions for two of their service demands namely halting curtailment of All Health Sciences Degree awarded to PSM’S and providng long delayed service promotions of PSM’S.
Meanwhile The Joint Council Of Professions Supplementary To Medicine this evening has decided to suspend there strike action on tomorrow at 8 a.m for two weeks after the health ministry secretary DrNihal Jayathilake has promised the Joint Council to appoint two committees to look after their two demands.
According to the secretary of Joint Council Saman Jayasekera the strike launched by today in three provinces will be suspended from 8 a.m tomorrow morning,
