Ragama hospital, stopped working

(August 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The All Ceylon Health Services Union yesterday said they would take stern trade union action against the failure of the Health Ministry to come out with proper investigations as promised with regard to an alleged assault on a member of the minor staff of the Ragama Teaching Hospital by the Director of the Hospital.

The union threatened to launch a continuous strike by the minor employees at the Ragama Hospital until a justifiable solution was given.A one-day protest staged by the minor staff of the Ragama Teaching Hospital on Friday came to an end after the All Ceylon Health Services Union was informed that the authorities would carry out the investigations and take necessary action against those responsible within three days. “Failure to do so by the Health Ministry has compelled the union to take this decision,” President of the All Ceylon Health Service Union Comrade Gamini Kumarasinghe told the Media yesterday.

The union in a statement said staff members of the Ragama hospital had been assaulted twice before, but the ministry had not carried out proper investigations. “If the ministry fails to take disciplinary action against the concerned person before 9.00 a.m on Monday, the union will continue the strike with the support of all members of the minor staff of the Ragama Teaching Hospital,” he said.

-Sri Lanka Guardian