Health sector and crippling strikes - EDITORIAL

The recent strike by the healthcare workers gave enough food for thought to the Government to think about the welfare of health workers. The unions backing the healthcare workers called off a strike temporarily maintaining that they intended seeing the president intervening in the issue and bringing them redress. 

The healthcare workers are demanding better salaries and working conditions among other needs. 
The problem that stretched the showdown between the health workers and the Health Minister beyond a negotiation, according to the version of the workers, is the minister distorting what was discussed between the two grieved parties when he attended press briefings. 

The nine-day strike crippled the government health services sector in the country. It forced the president to ban such strikes which he did by invoking a 1979 law that prohibiting the stoppage of two sections of employment termed as ‘essential public services’. Still this ban was defied by the health workers before they called off the strike. 

Any section of the Sri Lankan work force has the right to resort to strike action if they are in a state of grievance. It’s not easy serving in the health sector which calls for grueling work hours while the remuneration is not very attractive. Still, despite being disgruntled, healthcare workers have to maintain certain standards and services because patients who seek treatment are often battling life and death. Naturally a service labeled as essential services should be paying high salaries to begin with. 

A problem that has added to the tension in recent years between the health workers and the government minister in charge of the subject is that the latter has often not been health sector professional; example the present health minister and his predecessor were not doctors. 
The government maintains that it cannot give into the health sector workers’ financial demands given that the regime is reeling economically. The health workers have cited spiraling inflation for their demands for a pay hike, but the government maintains that it restructuring salaries is out of the question at this crucial juncture. 

One of the worse hit services involves the duties performed by the Public Health Inspectors (PHIs). The covid infection is still rampant. People complain that when a patient is infected with covid he or she finds it hard to contact a PHI and inform of the serious condition that prevails in such a house. The Public Health Inspectors’ Union is also actively involved in the strikes. 
As many as 18 unions are involved in these strikes which were temporarily called off for 14 days.  
A patient who gave a voice cut to a television station recently said how helpless patients are when they have to travel long distances to get to hospitals and go empty handed with the medicines. 
This patient said that he was prominent striker during his heydays, but added that these aren’t proper days to carry out strike action. 

The military has done a wonderful job in supervising the government’s vaccination drive. But it would be unthinkable for the state military personnel to start functioning in hospitals where services have been crippled by strike action. It is best for both parties to find a solution to the grievances of health sector workers. 
Cost of living is soaring and there is a shortage of essential food items; Kerosene oil added to the list. 
The government must also support its stance of struggling economically and it being unable to give salary hikes to anybody in the state sector. But then spending lavishly for recent events like Independence Day celebrations wouldn’t go well with the masses.