Categories: Headlines

GMOA contests SLMC election to upset Health Minister’s agenda

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) said yesterday its members would contest the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) election today (23) to defeat Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne’s political agenda being advanced through the SLMC.

GMOA Secretary, Dr Haritha Aluthge said it was the only group, capable of defeating the Minister’s sinister moves. The union was ready to prove to the Minister that the GMOA represented a majority of doctors despite the government’s claim to the contrary.

Dr. Aluthge said that Ex-Co members Drs Anuruddha Padeniya, Nalinda Herath, Naveen De Zoysa and union member Dr Harris Pathirage would contest the SLMC election, which would be held today (23) and tomorrow(24) from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm.

The GMOA Secretary said his union wished to take up several problems in the medical service besides issues in respect of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM).

Dr. Aluthge said that not only should SAITM be abolished but steps should be taken to ensure that justice was done to the SAITM medical students. The government should take measures to ensure that those students’s problems were solved.

Fielding a question regarding the GMOA’s response to Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Development Dr. Harsha de Silva on the AG’s response to the SAITM solution, Dr Aluthge said his union was seeking legal advice regarding the matter and was prepared to oppose any efforts at compromising minimum standards of medical education or establish a non profit institutions to accommodate SAITM medical undergraduates. He said the students needed a lasting solution and nothing less.

Meanwhile, an independent candidate at today’s SLMC election Dr. Sankalpa Marasinghe said the SLMC was only an opinion giver tasked with upholding the Medical Ordinance, which could only be amended by Parliament. Council members had no authority to change it, he observed.

The powers vested in the SLMC were mainly aimed at safeguarding the public from medical malpractices by ensuring that the standards of the medical services and medical education were maintained, Dr. Marasinghe said. However, the SLMC was under the purview of the Health Minister and those who felt that they were going to flout the Health Minister’s authority by being in the SLMC were only fooling themselves, he said.

AddThis Website Tools
Lankanewspapers

Recent Posts

LNP – Beta makes first electric flight into New York City airport

Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 on Tuesday become the first all-electric aircraft to land at a…

3 hours ago

LNP – SriLankan Airlines’ new Airbus A330-200 lands after low-altitude flyover

SriLankan Airlines’ newly added Airbus A330-200 landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport a short while…

8 hours ago

LNP – Govt. to introduce Metro Bus Unit with 100 comfortable, low-entry buses

The government has planned to deploy 100 comfortable, low-floor buses for passenger transport along several…

1 day ago

LNP – Tesla is ‘not interested’ in producing cars in India – minister

Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla is “not interested in manufacturing in India”, the…

1 day ago

LNP – Australia ready to work with Sri Lanka’s new administration: Australian Deputy Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence of Australia Richard Marles, reflecting on the 70-year…

1 day ago

LNP – SriLankan Airlines’ new A330 to perform low fly-past over Colombo tomorrow

The newly acquired Airbus A330-200 aircraft by SriLankan Airlines is scheduled to arrive in Sri…

1 day ago