• Striking midwives seek fuel allowance hike from Rs. 2/km

The trade unions affiliated with the Paramedical Services Front (PMSF) have launched a token strike demanding an allowance of Rs. 35,000.

The 48-hour strike, joined by the Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU) and several other trade unions, commenced at 8 a.m. yesterday (10).

In a press release issued on Tuesday (9), the PMSF’s President Upul Rohana said that they welcome the Cabinet of Ministers decision to increase the doctors’ Disturbance, Availability, and Transport (DAT) allowance by Rs. 35,000. However, he took issue with the Government’s failure to include the professionals in the paramedical services when serving “economic justice” to health professionals. The professionals in the paramedical services have vowed to resort to a continuous strike if the Government fails to address the issue.

Despite the ongoing token strike, the functions of children’s hospitals, cancer hospitals, maternity hospitals, nephrology hospitals, the National Blood Transfusion Service Centre and the National Institute of Mental Health will remain uninterrupted.  

Meanwhile, the Government Midwifery Service Association (GMSA) has launched a two-day strike starting from yesterday, demanding an increase in the allowances given to them. Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday, the GMSA President Devika Kodituwakku said that the Government should increase the current allowances given to them, including the fuel allowance. She said that the Government must look at other health professionals as well when taking such policy decisions that could create division within the sector. She said that midwifery services are different from the other professions in the health sector since they have to engage with the people directly and visit people very often. Therefore, she said that the current fuel allowance should be increased at a time when the fuel price has increased recently. 

“At present, we are given Rs. 2 per kilometre (km). Anyone who looks at the current fuel prices can understand that it is not sufficient. The other allowances are also relatively lower than the allowances offered to other professionals. Therefore, we consider the Government’s move to increase the allowances given to doctors a decision taken by the Government without a proper acknowledgement,” she added. 

Kodituwakku also noted that there is a dire shortage of midwives in the country, and that this act of negligence from the Government’s end could increase the existing exodus of officers in the midwifery services. She also said that the Government and the Ministry of Health have not conducted a proper cadre revision for years. “Many midwives have started leaving the country since they don’t get sufficient salaries. Such a decision can further dishearten the community. As we know, health professionals are in high demand all over the world. Therefore, if the Government does not pay attention, no one could stop the collapse of the health system,” she added.

Previously, the professionals in the supplementary medical service also engaged in a 24-hour token strike on Tuesday in protest of the Government’s move to not grant the DAT allowance to them.

On Monday (8), the Cabinet gave the nod to President and Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to double the DAT allowance paid to Government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.