A nationwide strike: GMOA warns

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) warns that if the Minister of Health fails to implement the agreements reached to resolve the issues faced by the free health service and doctors, an continuous island-wide trade union action will be launched. The association points out that serious unrest and protests have been created within the health system due to the absence of necessary short-term or long-term policies to address the real problems of the health sector and medical officers in the 2026 budget proposals presented by the President last November.

Previously, the trade union action launched by the Government Medical Officers' Association was temporarily suspended after reaching written agreements with the Minister of Health. These agreements included several measures, such as obtaining Cabinet approval to establish a special service category named "Sri Lanka Medical Service" covering doctors of all categories. Furthermore, it included matters such as updating the DAT allowance, resolving transport issues in accordance with Circular 22/99, and converting the additional service allowance into a fixed allowance. It was also agreed to commence discussions with the Ministry of Finance from January 5, 2026, to resolve issues related to the research allowance.

However, due to the non-implementation of the promised measures by January 5, it was decided at an emergency Central Committee meeting held on January 7 to unanimously empower the Executive Council to take strong trade union action at any time. During an emergency discussion with the Minister of Health on the afternoon of the same day, the association informed him of the strong dissatisfaction among members regarding the breach of agreements and delays by the government and the Ministry of Health. It is reported that the Minister agreed to announce dates for summoning relevant parties and commencing discussions.

This matter was discussed again at the Executive Council meeting held on January 13, and it was decided to grant the Minister of Health and the Ministry another 10 days to implement the agreements and resolve the issues. The Government Medical Officers' Association further emphasizes that if solutions are not received within this period, a continuous island-wide trade union action will commence from January 23.

The association states that despite adopting a flexible and fair approach to resolving issues in the health sector, an unnecessary crisis is being created within the free health service due to the unprofessional conduct and policy delays of the authorities. The association points out that the current situation raises serious doubts about the government's commitment to protecting the free health service and declares that if the issues continue to be ignored, all necessary measures will be taken for the safety of the public health service.