Patient Care Services Have Paralyzed In All Government Hospitals As Nurses Withdrawn From Their Services

All Government Hospital Nurses except nurses attach to five government  hospitals have withdrawn from hospital services today (Saturday 03rd of May) paralyzing patient care services in wards and clinics of   government hospitals island wide. the striking nurses will continue their trade union  action tomorrow(Sunday(04))as well   in  protest against  Health Ministry's  failure  of solving the dispute between government medical officers association(GMOA),the midwives and nurses over the midwifery training.

Due to the trade union action hundreds of thousands of patients getting treatment from government hospitals both indoor and outdoor faced numerous difficulties today according to hospital authorities.

According to the President of Public Services Nurses Union(PSNU) Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero Nursing Staff attach to government hospitals numbering 30,000  withdrawn  from their services this morning  and the  .nursing staff attach to Castle Street Maternity,De Soyza Maternity,Lady Ridgway Childrens ,Mahamodara Maternity and Maharagama,Cancer Hospitals refrain from joining the trade union action due to humanitarian reasons . only the emergency services will maintain in government hospital where  the  trade union action has been carried out venerable Muruththettuwe Thero has stressed.

The PSNU has decided to go for this trade union action after the discussions held between Nursing Unions and health ministry officials headed by Health Minister last  evening  have failed to reach any  solution for the dispute over midwifery training issue.

The Public Services Nurses Union headed by Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero is the largest trade union of Nurses in Sri Lanka which representing more than 95% of the government hospital nurses.

Meanwhile the  executive committee of the Nurses Union is scheduled to  meet tomorrow(04) to decide their future course of action if the health authorities are continuously ignoring  the  solving of  midwifery training issue the Public Services Nurses Union(PSNU) has said.the officials of the GMOA and government midwives are harassing the nursing staff of government hospitals and therefor health authorities should intervene and solve the issue the Nurses Union has stressed.