Doctors outraged over assault on consultant surgeon

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

A senior consultant Oral and Maxillofacial (OMF) surgeon at the General Hospital (Teaching) Kegalle was brutally assaulted within the hospital premises earlier yesterday, Daily Mirror learns.   

According to informed sources, the attack was carried out last afternoon by an individual who claimed that the specialist had made accidental contact with a pregnant woman while walking along the hospital pathway.   

The incident has sparked outrage among medical professionals with healthcare unions calling for immediate measures to prevent violence against hospital staff.   

The Government Dental Surgeons’ Association (GDSA) has vehemently condemned the attack. In response, the GDSA Executive Committee (EXCO) has declared a token strike in the Kegalle District until noon today.   

The association demands immediate government intervention to address the increasing security concerns faced by medical professionals.   

Meanwhile, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) has also extended its support to the GDSA’s move and called for the urgent implementation of a “Zero Tolerance Policy” against violence towards healthcare workers.   

The AMS stressed that similar policies have been successfully enforced in other countries, ensuring that any form of physical or verbal abuse against medical staff is met with strict legal consequences.