• Allege administrative obstruction of duties 

The Sri Lanka Association of Government Medical Laboratory Technologists (SLAGMLT) is to launch a two-day strike urging to take immediate action against the Chief Microbiologist of the Colombo National Hospital who is, according to them, creating many problems in the pathology sector by obstructing the proper performance of the duties of the authorised medical laboratory scientists through her alleged arbitrary administration.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (10), the SLAGMLT President Ravi Kumudesh stated that these actions are to be taken in response to the Health Ministry’s inability to address the issues faced by the medical laboratory scientists, even though they have informed the Ministry regarding this matter on numerous occasions.

Accordingly, Kumudesh said that on 13 July, they will launch a protest and that if the Health Ministry fails to give a proper solution, they will launch a continuous strike from 19 July. “On several occasions, we have informed the Ministry about the arbitrary conduct of this lady but no action has been taken against her. She is acting in her own way, violating the stipulated procedures. So, the laboratory technologists have decided to start a trade union action on 13 July. The rest of the actions will depend on the actions taken by the Ministry against her,” he claimed. He also claimed that the said Microbiologist is working outside the prescribed circulars in making decisions about the allowances of the medical laboratory scientists and cutting the allowances of the officers without informing them. He also alleged that she has violated the law by continuously interfering with the duties performed by the authorised medical laboratory scientists and by handing over the general inventory that should be held by a laboratory officer to other external parties.

Kumudesh said that the Association has taken steps to inform the Secretary to the Ministry of Health Janaka Sri Chandraguptha about their prospective trade union actions and that now it is his responsibility to act on this matter in a very fair manner.

Chandraguptha was not available for comment.