14 June 2016 08:05 pm
GMOA General Secretary Dr. Nalinda Herath told a news conference that children of government doctors were discriminated by the relevant government authorities. He alleged that they were bent on taking revenge on the doctors through their children.
He said however, that children of judges have been admitted to national schools.
"If this sad state of affairs continues, the doctors would be left with no option but to migrate overseas where adequate facilities were provided to medical professionals," Dr. Herath said.
He said at this rate the country would end up losing its doctors.
Dr. Herath said there are hundreds of children who had been deprived of admission to national schools this year.
“Government doctors are sent for foreign medical training to be better equipped to serve the people and the country. Some doctors are transferred every four years according to the special transfer scheme and as such find it difficult to show five-years of permanent residence to get national school admission for their children. After they return to the country, they find that their children are without schools,” he said.
As a result of the pressure exerted by the GMOA on President Maithripala Sirisena, the Education Ministry confirms that the doctors' children would be admitted to national schools.
The GMOA said this assurance has been limited to words and not put into practice. (Piyumi Fonseka)