AMS slams Govt inaction over longstanding injustices

Colombo, Nov. 11 (Daily Mirror) - The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) has voiced deep frustration over what it calls “decades of unresolved injustices” endured by Sri Lanka’s medical specialists, urging the government to take immediate corrective action.

In a statement, the AMS said that despite medical specialists playing a vital leadership role in sustaining and advancing the nation’s healthcare system, they continue to suffer from unfair treatment — including improper service placements, pay disparities, inadequate allowances, and the absence of proper facilities for continuous medical education.

The Association also condemned the government’s repeated failure to deliver on its promises, noting that despite public assurances in Parliament to revise transport allowances and introduce fair compensation for overtime work under Budget 2026, “not a single pledge has materialised.”

“This inaction has caused severe disappointment and unrest among medical specialists nationwide,” the AMS warned, adding that the situation contradicts the Health Minister’s call for Sri Lankan specialists abroad to return home. “Such invitations ring hollow when those serving locally remain neglected,” the statement said.

The AMS further reminded the authorities that specialists routinely exceed their standard working hours without compensation — a level of commitment unmatched in many Western healthcare systems — and stressed that their dedication should not be taken for granted.

These concerns were discussed at an Emergency Executive Committee Meeting held on November 10, 2025, where the AMS resolved to summon a General Body Meeting in Colombo soon to decide its next course of action.

Until then, the AMS urged the government to treat these long-pending issues with urgency and to implement the long-promised reforms without further delay.