• President requests more time to review
• Series of meetings with Prez and Minister  

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday (1) warned of potential union action if the Government failed to address concerns related to doctors’ salaries, allowances, and the challenges medical professionals faced in performing their duties, as outlined in the current Budget proposals.

GMOA Spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe told The Sunday Morning that the association had recently met with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, but that no agreement had been reached during the meeting. 

“The President requested more time to review the Budget proposal and the issues raised by doctors,” he explained.

When asked about the possibility of union action, Dr. Wijesinghe stated that it would be a last resort. 

“We will be meeting with the President again this week and also with Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa. We hope they will seriously consider the challenges doctors are facing, particularly issues like brain drain and the shortage of consultants,” he said.

Dr. Wijesinghe highlighted that the 2025 Budget included significant cuts and amendments to doctors’ allowances and the leave system.

He stressed that if doctors were unable to work beyond 4 p.m., it would be impossible to sustain medical services in Sri Lanka, adding that even now, they were not adequately compensated for their efforts.

Dr. Wijesinghe also criticised the measures, stating that they undermined the value of doctors’ services and served as a discouragement. 

He further pointed out that the reduction in allowances effectively cancelled out the impact of the proposed basic salary increase for doctors in the 2025 Budget.