Puswedilla, Medical Mercenaries & Regime Change

By Granville Perera –May 16, 2017

The strike called by the GMOA with the support of about 30 odd trade unions in the health, education and transport sectors proved to be just another “Puswedilla”. They only used their licence to kill by depriving the poorest in Sri Lanka of medical attention. Now, they are threatening to strike again, with more venom. They do this while they enjoy all the perks and privileges offered by the State including license to practice in private hospitals.  The Government should use an iron whip and bring in legislation where trade union action becomes a criminal non bailable offence related to essential services. An iron fisted rule of Lee Kuan Yew or our own Gota style seems to be the only style of governance that would be understood by these mercenaries of health. Hope Sarath Fonseka would be able to fit in to his former subordinate’s shoes and deliver. I am sure; there would be even public support for white vanning this medical mafia.

The maverick in Parliament, Ranjan Ramanayake provided documentary evidence that Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, the Mahinda Rajapaksa stooge and disciple and President of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) was caught in the act by confirming his consultation appointment on the 5th of May 2017 when doctors around the country were supposed to be on strike, called by the GMOA. A journalist plant of the GMOA probably would have tipped off Padeniya that Ranjan Ramanayake had called a press conference to prove that “Pavadena ya” was consulting private patients while the entire GMOA was supposed to be on strike, hence the call from the private hospital cancelling Ramanayake’s appointment during the press conference.  What a hypocrite who took the Hippocratic oath. He should be sacked from Government service for this scandalous offence and investigated for the crimes he committed to the poor patients. Its time, Ravi’s taxmen went after them during the consultation hours and insist that hospitals issues official receipts for doctor’s fees.  How disgraceful can it get when you think of the genuine doctors who earned the highest respect and served the country only a few decades ago. The poor patients worshiped them and the current day doctors have only curses from the poor. I knew of a few who would pay for the medicine of the poor if they were not available in the hospital.

The current breed of pompous Government medical practitioners seems to have taken total control of the poor man’s life and each time the Government farts, they go for trade union action compromising the health of the poorest segment of the country. It is time the country took these dirty bulls by their horns and reined them in through Sarath Fonseka or a people’s movement that can kick the asses of these bloody mercenaries who call themselves doctors. Gone are the days when the doctors were the most respected, and worshiped for their yeomen service. The fault lies with the Government for opening this noble profession to undesirables who do not posses basic social etiquette. Private medical services should be curtailed long before private medical education is censured. Those serving in government hospitals should not be allowed to practice anywhere outside, whether it is in their own private practice chambers or any of the swindling private hospitals. Holding the health sector to ransom by these mercenaries is because of the short supply of medical professionals in this country. SAITM and the thousands of students who study abroad can fill this vacuum, but these vultures that probably do not understand the Hippocratic oath will not allow this to happen. All this may change when the government signs the ECTA agreement with India, which will enable Indian professionals to practice in Sri Lanka. Laws should also be amended to allow foreign specialist doctors to serve in both private and state medical facilities without ERPM. A good precedent is the excellent medical professionals currently working for private medical services with the highest professional etiquette. Their professionalism is beyond question and they treat patients with due respect and allocate at least 20 minutes per patient. How many of our medical mercenaries even spend 5 minutes with a patient?

The SAITM protests started claiming the standards were substandard and the wealthy paid their way in to medical education without the required A/L qualifications. mySAITM stories brought out the brilliance of these kids who have chosen to live and study in Sri Lanka even refusing scholarships from foreign universities. Dr. Nalinda Herath, the secretary of the GMOA who had forgotten his Advanced Level examination results is accused of getting in through the district quota with three simple passes. He hasn’t denied the allegation yet. How can this doctor who could not remember his AL results remember what he studied at medical school when he has to treat hundreds of patients everyday. Those who talk about standards in education and who crept in through the district quota have had substandard education. How can one expect to trust a patient’s life with someone who is nowhere closer to the brilliance of SAITM kids?

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