GMOA Steps Up Trade Union Action From Today Amid Unresolved Demands

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has announced that it will strengthen its ongoing trade union action starting from 8.00 a.m. today (02), after authorities failed to respond satisfactorily to a number of demands raised by the association.

The GMOA said the decision was taken due to the lack of meaningful solutions from the Ministry of Health, despite repeated appeals and discussions. As part of the intensified action, several additional measures will now be enforced across the government hospital system.

Under the new phase of the trade union action, doctors will suspend issuing prescriptions and recommendations for patients to obtain medicines and medical equipment from outside sources when such items are unavailable within hospitals. Recommendations for external laboratory tests will also be halted if those services are not accessible internally.

In addition, GMOA members will withdraw from voluntary participation in health camps and clinics organized by political groups. Doctors will also refrain from being assigned to newly opened hospital wards or units that do not meet the officially approved staffing requirements.

The association further stated that doctors will stop examining patients in situations where adequate facilities and support staff are not available to ensure patient safety and privacy. Specialist services will be limited strictly to the hospitals to which specialists are formally attached, with no coverage provided to other institutions lacking specialist doctors.

The GMOA initially launched island-wide continuous trade union action across government hospitals on January 26, following the presentation of several unresolved issues to the government. On the same day, the association’s Executive Committee granted the Minister of Health a 48-hour deadline to announce a positive resolution.

However, the GMOA said the Ministry failed to offer acceptable solutions within the given timeframe. An emergency meeting of the GMOA Executive Committee was held on January 31, during which it was decided to continue and further intensify the trade union action without interruption from today.