The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has announced plans to escalate trade union action, accusing the government and the Ministry of Health Sri Lanka of repeatedly violating written agreements aimed at resolving longstanding issues in the hospital system.
In a statement issued on February 16, the GMOA said the decision follows the Health Minister’s failure to honour assurances given in December 2025 to address concerns including staff shortages, infrastructure deficiencies, salary anomalies, and cuts to allowances and benefits.
The union said doctors nationwide continue to face severe challenges in delivering healthcare services, citing shortages of personnel, equipment, and basic facilities across hospitals.
Despite submitting evidence-based reports and engaging in discussions, the GMOA claimed the government has failed to implement agreed solutions, describing the official response as “arrogant.”
The association, which represents more than 23,000 doctors, said several islandwide trade union actions are already underway. These include suspending the issuance of external referral notes for medicines, laboratory tests, and equipment unavailable in hospitals, and withdrawing from voluntary participation in health camps organised by political groups.
The GMOA has also decided not to assign doctors to newly opened hospital wards that lack approved staffing levels, and to refrain from examining patients in environments without adequate safety and privacy standards. Specialist doctors have additionally withdrawn from certain coverage duties.
From February 18, Medical Officers of Health (MOH) will also stop officially submitting a range of public health data to the Health Ministry and related institutions. This includes daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports on communicable diseases, dengue cases, immunisation, maternal and child health, school health, and other public health indicators.
The GMOA warned that if the government continues to delay implementing agreed measures within a defined timeframe, trade union action will be further intensified.
