The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, I wish to devote my time during this timely and important debate on university and higher education to address the crisis that has arisen at present in the country, particularly within the health sector.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Speaker, as you know, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has launched a 48-hour island-wide strike from this morning. From primary health care to tertiary care units, including disease prevention, our doctors shoulder a huge responsibility to maintain services. Not only routine services, but during natural disasters like the recent “Diksha” cyclone, the tsunami, floods, landslides, and epidemics, doctors have gone beyond the limits of their official duties and devoted their time to serve. Our improvement in certain global health indicators is due to the dedication of doctors and all health workers. As a Government, we extend our respect to them. We are also working to retain specialists and doctors in the country by creating the necessary environment for them to perform well.

¶ 03 Hon. Deputy Speaker, we did not inherit a smooth and healthy economy. The country had been bankrupted and that bankruptcy had been officially acknowledged. In such a context, within just over a year after taking over the economy, we brought stability. According to the Budget presented in February 2025 and passed in March, while we were stabilizing, we also provided for increases to basic salaries of all public servants, including specialist doctors and doctors.

¶ 04 If you examine carefully, Hon. Deputy Speaker, after Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office as President in September 2024 and our Government was formed in November, and in the subsequent months, there were no large-scale protests or strikes demanding salary increases for public servants. However, as a Government, we considered that to rebuild the economy, the contribution of public servants was essential. Therefore, in keeping with the state of the economy, we granted a reasonable basic salary increase. We structured it in tranches: the first in April 2025, the second in January 2026, and the third in January 2027. Accordingly, those who received the first tranche in April 2025 are now entitled to the second tranche from this month, which has already commenced. The third tranche will come in January 2027.

¶ 05 For the first time in our history, we also aligned overtime, holiday pay, and extra-duty allowances from April 2025, benchmarked to the basic salary that will fully materialize by January 2027. Previously, even smaller basic increases in 2016–2017 had allowances adjusted only after two to two-and-a-half years.

¶ 06 Accordingly, for a preliminary grade medical officer (on completion of internship) whose basic salary in March 2025 was Rs. 52,955, we have increased it to Rs. 82,547. Including cost of living and other allowances, a doctor who earned Rs. 155,080 in March 2025 will earn Rs. 177,172 from January 2026, an increase of Rs. 22,092. We also raised extra-duty from Rs. 687 to Rs. 795 per hour, and for 120 hours that is Rs. 12,960. With holiday pay added, the overall take-home rises from Rs. 237,520 to Rs. 272,572, an increase of Rs. 35,052.

¶ 07 For a Grade II Medical Officer, the basic increased from Rs. 58,305 to Rs. 90,673. With allowances, pay moves from Rs. 160,005 to Rs. 184,873. With extra duty and PH, the take-home rises from Rs. 255,525 to Rs. 300,913, an increase of Rs. 45,388.

¶ 08 For a Grade I Medical Officer, the basic rises from Rs. 71,805 to Rs. 111,193 in January 2026—the first time a Grade I MO receives a six-figure basic. This will reach Rs. 125,670 by January 2027. With cost of living, monthly becomes around Rs. 205,793, up from Rs. 173,905. With 120 hours extra duty, the increase in salary and allowances alone is Rs. 54,688, taking take-home from Rs. 306,025 to Rs. 360,713.

¶ 09 We have increased basics and corresponding allowances, and also raised the APIT threshold from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 150,000, giving further relief to doctors in Preliminary, Grade II, and Grade I.

¶ 10 We have allocated significant funds to improve hospital facilities—equipment and buildings—and those works are underway. In 2024 we recruited 1,987 medical officers; in 2025, 1,738 more; and another 460 will be recruited shortly.

¶ 11 Hon. Deputy Speaker, you have been given four extra minutes and now, you are left with five more minutes altogether.

¶ 12 Okay, Sir. We will provide these within the capacity of our economy.

¶ 13 About 50 days ago, we faced a massive disaster. As per World Bank estimates, the loss is USD 4.1 billion, roughly Rs. 1,200 billion. We have allocated an additional Rs. 500 billion for rebuilding. Despite this, we have not cut any basic or extra allowances; all increases are being paid from January, including to doctors.

¶ 14 In the past two to two-and-a-half months, the GMOA staged several strikes. One was at Dehiattakandiya Base Hospital in Ampara District—serving 450–500 OPD patients daily (1,200 weekly), with 120–140 admissions daily. Services were crippled for six to six-and-a-half days from 1–7 October due to the transfer of two doctors. One, Dr. D.G.W.M. Dahanayake, was posted there on 22 March 2007 and remained for 18 years. There were audit queries regarding his prolonged tenure and payments. Consequently, the Regional Director of Health Services (Ampara) released him on 15 September 2025. Another doctor, P.P. Wijesinghe, serving since 15 February 2021, was transferred to the Ampara District General Hospital HDU due to shortages. These two transfers triggered a strike depriving the public of services. That was not justifiable.

¶ 15 A three-member committee (Ministry Secretary and Primary Health Services Director among them) reviewed it and recommended: transfer the 18-year doctor to the District General Hospital with one month to assume duties; and suspend the urgent transfer of the other doctor and process it with the next post-intern placements. To quickly restore services, we temporarily adjusted these transfers, solely in the public interest. Yet GMOA extended disruptions across the Eastern Province.

¶ 16 Next was Akkaraipattu. Based on multiple complaints against the Medical Superintendent, including from a GMOA official, and reports from doctors saying they could not work with him due to intimidation, we temporarily removed him from the hospital pending inquiry to protect services amid repeated strikes.

¶ 17 Yesterday, at the National Eye Hospital (Colombo), GMOA launched a sudden strike without notice, affecting about 700 OPD, 750 clinic patients daily, around 100 admissions, and 110 casualties, with patients coming from across the country. Because of patient hardship, we paused some administrative decisions. But we see the pattern: trying to shield certain members—sometimes executive committee members—who have remained in the same station for 13–18 years, while thousands in difficult hospitals are unable to get their transfers.

¶ 18 We attempted national transfer cycles in December, extended deadlines four times at GMOA’s request to avoid unit closures and ensure smooth transitions. Even as Cyclone “Diksha” recovery continues and the economy stabilizes, launching 48-hour or week-long strikes on unaffordable economic demands while pay has just increased is unjustifiable. I urge the Opposition not to cheerlead such actions. Some newly recruited doctors allied to your executive committees—under interdiction or dismissal—have been encouraging strikes; this has come to light.

¶ 19 Our specialists and many doctors are not supporting this strike. With take-home rising—e.g., from Rs. 237,520 to Rs. 272,572; Rs. 255,000 to Rs. 300,000; Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 360,000—there is no justification to hold patients hostage. We rolled back certain decisions temporarily to ensure uninterrupted services. While issues of drugs and equipment exist, we manage them with the public’s interest foremost. I call upon all doctors—grade, specialist, and administrative—to end strikes that jeopardize patient lives. With economic growth, we will do more.

¶ 20 Thank you.