Sri Lanka's striking nurses requested to report to work

Sri Lanka's Minister of Health Maithripala Sirisena Tuesday has requested all the striking nurses to report to work.

"This decision has been taken to provide health care facilities to the patients without any disruption," the government said.
Issuing a special circular yesterday, the Director General of Health Services Dr. Ajith Mendis has directed all heads of hospitals and health institutes in the country to effective immediately cancel leave to the nursing staff unless it is due to an unavoidable circumstance.

The Director General has instructed that information on all nurses who do not report for duty today should be provided to the Health Ministry. The nurses who do not report for duty will be considered as having vacated the post.

Sri Lanka nurses' trade union, Government Nursing Officers' Association (GNOA) has threatened to launch trade union action today in several government hospitals including the main Colombo National Hospital.

The Nurses' union says the authorities have failed to address the grievances of the health sector employees.

Minister Sirisena has said that the government has already taken measures to sort out problems in the Health Sector and has launched a massive program to upgrade the nursing services.

He requested the nurses to report for duty and sort out all the problems negotiations.