Enjoining order against GMOA extended till Oct. 31

By T.Farook Thajudeen

The District Court of Colombo extended the enjoining order issued against the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) restraining the association from putting into effect the intended stoppage of work by medical officers in government hospitals till 31 October and ordered the GMOA to file objections on or before that date.

When the matter was taken up for inquiry before District Judge Ranjith N. Watupola   yesterday, the GMOA filed a proxy through their registered attorney-at-law Samararatna Associates nominating them as their attorneys-at-law for the case and moved for a date to file objections.

The plaintiff Juliana Dahanayake of Nugegoda, filed this action in the District Court of Colombo claimed  that  the petitioner who is a chest patient while being treated at the Jayawardenapura General Hospital  and at the clinic of  Post Graduate Medical Training Center following  her aliment  becoming  chronic she was warded at the National Hospital for three consecutive days from 23 September. She submitted that presently she had been treated at the Sri Jayawardenapuira Hospital.

The plaintiffs Counsel Chandana Perera instructed by Sunethra Ratnasekara appearing for the plaintiff contended that  thus  there is a valid  agreement between  the plaintiff and government of Sri Lanka to treat his client for her ailment if the intended work stoppage is enforced it would violate the guidelines on Ethical Conduct For Medical and Dental  Practitioners Registered with the members of the Sri Lanka Medical Council.

He said the medical practitioners are ethically bound to follow them by Oath of Hippocrates, thus if the intended work stoppage is put into force it would causing an irreparable loss to the petitioner and other patients.

The counsel moved to extend the injunction restrain the Association from enforcing any work stoppage by the Government Medical Officers until the adjudication of the case.