Patients Hit Hard by GMOA’s Continued Industrial Action

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) continued its trade union action on Thursday (20) across state hospitals, protesting the government’s failure to consider proposals submitted for the 2026 Budget.

The GMOA launched the action on November 17, citing dissatisfaction with the budget’s neglect of healthcare services and medical professionals. 

Key measures include:

Non-issuance of prescriptions for patients to purchase unavailable medicines externally
Non-recommendation of external lab tests when hospital facilities are lacking
Suspension of assigning doctors to newly opened wards and units without adequate staffing

The move has caused significant inconvenience to patients visiting government hospitals, as essential services remain disrupted.

The GMOA insists that these actions will continue until authorities address their concerns regarding resource allocation and staffing in the health sector.