Patients Suffer as Doctors’ Strike Over Budget Neglect

COLOMBO (News 1st); Thousands of patients across Sri Lanka faced severe inconvenience for a second consecutive day as the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) continued its trade union action in state hospitals.

The move, launched yesterday (17), is in protest against what the union calls the government’s failure to address critical demands and neglect of the health sector in the 2026 Budget.

The strike has disrupted services, with doctors refusing to issue prescriptions for medicines unavailable in hospitals, declining to provide referrals for external lab tests, and halting the assignment of medical officers to newly opened wards and units lacking adequate staff.

Despite a meeting between GMOA representatives and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday, the union vowed to continue its action until concrete solutions are offered.

“Our demands remain unresolved,” GMOA spokesperson Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe said.

While many hospitals reported delays and patient frustration, sources confirmed that operations at Colombo National Hospital and several other major facilities continued as normal, minimizing the impact in some areas.