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No priority for health workers under Fuel Pass

22 Jul 2022

  • Health staffers face opposition in queues when obtaining fuel from designated sheds    
  • NHSL Dep. DG says Police, military unable to control crowds
  • Kalubowila Hospital Director says ‘exclusively for health sector’ sheds pumping for public also
  • LRH Director notes opposition, urges Govt to supply adequate fuel for public transport  
  • Castle and De Soysa Maternity observe slight reduction in minor, jnr. staff reporting to work
BY Safrah Fazal Whilst a new National Fuel Pass system has been introduced to ease the procurement of fuel for the public, no mechanism has been put in place under the said system to prioritise health care workers, at a time when they are faced with great opposition from those in queues when obtaining fuel at designated fuel sheds on their designated day of the week. The Morning learned that 16 incidents were reported last week across the island where the public had opposed or protested against the distribution of fuel to health staffers on their designated day. The Morning also learned of instances where Police officers have bypassed health staffers in fuel queues. When The Morning contacted the Health Ministry’s Tertiary Care Services Director, Medical Technology Services Director, and Co-ordinator In Charge of Covid-19 Operations and Donor Activities, Dr. Anwar Hamdani yesterday (21), he confirmed that the procurement of fuel for health staffers has proven to be a tedious task.  “The initial two weeks of implementing the system where health workers were to receive fuel at designated sheds on a day designated by the Ministry of Health went well. However, from then onwards, the health care workers have had to experience a lot of opposition from those in queues. This is not a privilege. We are trying to run the system. If the public could support us, it would allow us to carry out our work uninterrupted.”  When The Morning questioned whether health care workers have been prioritised to receive fuel under the new Fuel Pass system, Dr. Hamdani said: “It is yet to be decided, but nothing has been communicated to us thus far.” When contacted by The Morning, National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo Deputy Director General (DG) Dr. Kumara Wickramasinghe said that the NHSL staff have also faced a lot of opposition from those in queues.  “Protests are carried out when NHSL staff go to pump fuel on their designated day. The military and the Police are unable to control the crowds. The system doesn’t work as expected.”  He also said: “Minor staff and nurses stay in quarters close to the Hospital. We have also organised private and Sri Lanka Transport Board buses for the staff. Our staff arrive on a roster basis.” He added that emergency and routine surgeries are being conducted at the Hospital at present. Speaking to The Morning yesterday, Colombo South (Kalubowila) Teaching Hospital (CSTH) Director Dr. Sagari Kiriwandeniya said that CSTH staff has also faced opposition from the public on certain occasions, adding that that has made the procurement of fuel a challenge.  “Our designated day last week was on Saturday. Not all staff was able to receive fuel. Although the shed was supposed to be exclusively for health workers, fuel was pumped to others as well after they opposed our staff receiving fuel on a priority basis and started to fight. The military and the Police were helpless.  “So not all our staff was able to procure fuel at that shed because they ran out of fuel. That was unsuccessful. However, all our staff who lined up at the fuel filling station in Attidiya managed to pump fuel. The shed was exclusively for health workers, and the public did not intervene or protest. It was successful there.” She further noted that day-to-day operations are being managed with much difficulty. “Sometimes, we have had to reduce the number of surgeries, but we have not completely stopped. Efficiency is reducing, but we are somehow managing with difficulty. People are staying in queues and the number of patients has also increased.” Also speaking to The Morning, Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) Director Dr. G. Wijesuriya said that doctors at the LRH have also had to face opposition from the public at fuel sheds.  “We have also had to face similar opposition as the doctors of other hospitals. But they are somehow managing with great difficulty. While prioritising healthcare workers, the Government should also ensure to procure adequate stocks of fuel for public transportation systems so that health workers can use public transport when needed.” Castle Street Hospital for Women Director Dr. Pradeep Wijesinghe told The Morning yesterday (21) that despite issues faced in procuring fuel at certain fuel filling stations, most staffers are reporting to work.  “Most of our doctors live close to the hospital, so they are able to report to work. Some others come to work on bicycles. There is a small reduction in minor staff reporting to work, but we are managing day-to-day operations at the hospital.” A senior official at the De Soysa Maternity Hospital for Women told The Morning that there is a lot of opposition from a handful of those queued up when health care workers arrive to obtain fuel on a priority basis. “There have been several instances where doctors and other staff have been berated for obtaining fuel on a priority basis while they remain in queues, which causes a lot of frustration for our staff. There are a handful of such people in queues.” In terms of the operations at the hospital, the official said: “There is a reduction in junior staff reporting to work, because most often they have to travel a great distance in order to report to work.” The health sector in the country has been under great stress recently as a result of the drug and fuel shortage related crises in the country caused by the deficit of US dollars. Although the drug crisis is being managed at present with the help of donors, the fuel shortage has proven to be a great challenge to the health workers.


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