The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has decided to call off its island-wide token strike, which was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. today (25 August) in all government hospitals.

The decision came after discussions with Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa and senior ministry officials last night (24), during which the minister provided a written assurance addressing the union’s concerns.

GMOA Secretary Dr. Prabath Sugathadasa said the Association resolved to suspend the strike following this assurance, which pledged to fulfil key demands raised by doctors.

The GMOA had announced the strike citing several issues, including the risk of rural hospitals being forced to close, government influence pressuring patients to buy scarce medicines, and threats to the free healthcare system due to shortages of quality medicines and essential equipment. The union also criticised the Ministry of Health for irregular, inefficient, and non-transparent practices in the transfer and placement of doctors, which it claimed had led to the collapse of the system of assigning doctors to remote areas.