A tense situation prevailed today at the Colombo National Hospital when two groups of doctors exchanged fisticuffs over an ongoing dispute in the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA).
The tense situation began when one faction organised a leaflet distribution campaign inside the hospital.
A spokesman for the group which organised the campaign said more than 200 doctors at the National Hospital participated in the campaign which started at 10.00 a.m. today while a rival faction organised a meeting this evening.
The GMOA media committee said the interim committee informed the Hospital Director to stop the meeting from taking place.
But some 20 doctors held a meeting and the clash is said to have erupted during the meeting.
Police said no serious injuries were reported but blows had been exchanged by the two factions who were dispersed with the intervention of the police who had been brought in to quell the disturbance.
A complaint was lodged at the Maradana Police Station by the doctors who organised the leaflet distributing campaign.
The dispute arose in the wake of the GMOA executive committee being restrained on a July 2 court order in a case filed by some senior doctors against the election held on June 28. The case was postponed to August 6. (Supun Dias)