• Writes to President and Ministry of Health to discuss grievances
• GMOA expresses concerns about some Budget proposals which may see them receive up to a 50% allowance cut 
• Blames Government for not consulting stakeholders and basing proposals on scientific reasoning

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) has requested an immediate meeting with President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake to discuss the alleged reduction of several allowances, including those for extra duties, due to changes introduced in the 2025 Budget.

Following the presentation of the 2025 Budget in Parliament last week, allegations have emerged that several allowances for health sector employees, including medical officers and nurses, will be reduced due to changes introduced in the Budget.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, GMOA spokesperson Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said that while the allowance cuts vary across each category, overall, they would receive about 50% less in allowances than they should. "All categories of health-sector employees, including doctors, will be affected by these changes. The main reduction will be in the allowances paid for additional duties. Even before these changes, the allowance was much lower than it should have been, and now it has been reduced even further."

Although the health sector was always given priority even in very challenging times in the past, he claimed that it is clear that curtailments caused by budgetary changes specifically target the health sector. "Government representatives including ministers are making various statements about this issue now, but none of them are based on scientific reasoning. There should have been proper proposals, consultation, committee appointments, proper analysis, and a study of its impact before making a structural change of this sort, but nothing as such happened."

Dr. Wijesinghe said that the GMOA's Executive Committee met last week to discuss the issue, and it was unanimously agreed to request the Government to reverse the changes. "We decided to seek a meeting with President Dissanayake and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. We have already written to President Dissanayake, requesting a discussion within this week."

Health Minister Dr. Jayatissa was not available for comment, regarding the allegations made by the GMOA.