CMC PHIs withdraw from dengue control work for a week over exam dispute

Colombo, June 26 (Daily Mirror) - Chief Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) attached to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) have decided to withdraw from the dengue eradication programmes within the CMC area for one week, following a dispute over the rejection of exam application.

An official from the CMC PHI branch office said the decision was made after the Health Ministry’s Examinations Division refused to accept the Efficiency Bar (EB1) Examination applications of seven senior PHIs representing the CMC.

Applications for the EB1 examination for Grade I PHI officers for 2025 were called on May 8, with the deadline set for May 28. The completed applications of the seven CMC PHIs were submitted to the Local Government Department of the Western Provincial Councils on May 20, well ahead of the deadline.

However, the Local Government Department forwarded the applications to the Health Ministry’s Examinations Division only on June 4, six days after the deadline. As a result, the applications were rejected by the Ministry.

The affected PHIs claimed that although the delay was caused by the Local Government Department, the Health Ministry refused to accommodate them, despite reportedly making concessions for PHIs attached directly to the Health Ministry.

“This examination is being held after four years and is scheduled for this Sunday (29). We requested the Health Ministry to reconsider our applications, but our appeals were rejected,” a spokesperson for the PHI branch office said.

In protest, the CMC PHI branch office has announced its withdrawal from all dengue control activities in the Colombo city area for seven days.