GMOA asks President to remove Health Minister Rajitha

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has requested President Maithripala Sirisena to remove current Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and appoint a qualified person to the post.

The GMOA charges that the Minister is increasingly interfering in the affairs of the Ministry politically and also his wife, Dr. Sujatha Senaratne, who was former Deputy Director of the National Hospital, is also attending the ministerial meetings representing the Minister.

Addressing a media briefing today, the Secretary of the GMOA Dr. Nalinda Herath and Media Spokesman Dr. Naveen de Soysa criticized the Minister saying that the international recognition sought by the Health Ministry for its standard of service would be lost if Dr. Senaratne makes arbitrary decisions regarding health care.

GMOA Spokesman Dr. Naveen de Soysa alleged that a close relative of the Minister is using the Ministry’s vehicles and medicines to distribute relief to the flood victims.

Meanwhile, the association said they plan to launch a work strike on 31st this month to protest the transfers of doctors that have been made violating the medical transfer policy.