Dr. Douglas Constantine is a medical doctor and a post modernist artist.  On June 23rd his latest exhibition was opened by fellow artists.  Sri Lankan tradition is to light a big brass lamp on such occasions.  Decorating the lamp with garlands of jasmine also came into vague in recent past. Instead of such decorum Constantine has placed the cotton wicks in an old bed pan with rusty wear and tear marks.  The exhibition was declared open by lighting the bed pan.  His paintings do not carry titles.  Yet the initial shock of the bed pan linked the viewers with the painters thought stream- war and destruction- one disaster leading to another.
“You doctors are doing the same thing,” someone said referring to the deadlock situation of the 4.000 medical officers’ strike.
Constantine the painter agreed to the comment.  But Constantine the medical doctor asked,” It’s true that poor patients should not be the victims.  But do you know the political undercurrent and policy blunders of the whole thing.?” 

Government Medical Officers demand for a national health policy with proper guidelines and demarcations for the doctors top appointments, transfers and promotions.  They claim that such issues have become unbearably political.  President Kumaranathunga and the provincial governments are trying to wash their hands saying that such matters could not be tampered without amending the constitution.  GMOA points out that the maintenance and establishment of hospitals would be under the provincial government while the administration of officers and services needs to be remain under the Central Government.  99% of the population say the doctors have no moral right to go on strike because the public money have been spent to educate them, and the strike should not be the first step.   The public interest groups say that the administrative matters should not be drawn into the government hospitals.

In 1989 the Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Home Affairs Ministry issued  a circular stating that nine public services would come under the “all island” category.  The GMOA points out that there had been many incidents over the years where appointments approved by the Central Ministry were turned down by the provincial authorities.  In 1996, after consulting the relevant parties- the provincial and central authorities, Attorney General and the Medical Officers.  According to the GMOA statements the following procedures were agreed for the selection of Administrative Grade posts. 

• Line Ministry will advertise identified vacancies and call for applications.
• An interview Board will select the suitable candidates based on the PSC  appointment scheme and will recommend to the Governor for appointments for to the Province.
• PSC approval should be promptly obtained before the release of the officer to the province to be appointment to the selected post.
• The Governor will issue a suitable letter to enable the officer to function in the respective post.

Though the maintenance and establishment of hospitals come under the Provincial administration,  Ratnapura  province has already  handed  it over to the Line Ministry unable to run them effectively.   The Government defence line is to say that it could not do anything  since the court action is pending.  DMOA points out that the Government had ample time to act upon the agreed and approved statement.  The Minister of Health Nimal ipla de Silva says,”How can I implement the national policy immediately when the Appeal Court has issued an interim order to stop the appointment of officials to administrative posts.”

A public interest group has filed a case against the GMOA.  On last Tuesday, the Colombo District Court ordered the GMOA to end the strike till the petition of the public interest group was decided upon.  On Friday district court judge A.W.A Salam said there was evident that GMOA leaders were trying to circumvent his enjoining order.  He ordered the police chief to arrest the CMOA president and members of the executive committee.  The President is said to be planning to meet the GMOA provided that they call off their strike. 

While Government and the GMOA holding fisticuffs  many patients have passed away due to lack of medical attention.  Kurunagala Petrol sheds have decided not to issue petrol to the doctors.   A demonstration was held at the Liption Circus demanding to call off the strike.  A car of a Paediatrician working for Lady Ridgeway, main children’s hospital of the country, was set on fire on Wednesday night at his residence in Colombo suburbs. Houses of two other doctors in Kurunagala District were stoned.  The crowd which protested against the doctors at Kuliyapitiya said to be issued death threats to the doctors.  The doctors have threatened in return to withdraw even the emergency service if the crowd did not disperse immediately.  Kuliyapitiya is in the North Western Province where the strike sparked off, and the Chief Minister sought the legal coverage.  Many such reports are pouring to Colombo at the time of the filing.

The GMOA officials say that the politicians had let loose thugs on them and the government thugs are behind the stoning and burning issues.  It is obvious the government is capitalising on the people’s anger while opposition is trying to gain a footage.  The Chief Minister of Wayamba (North Central) Province has condemned the violence. At the moment of filing the story the doctors’ trade union is waiting to meeting the President.  Health Minister Nimal ipala is also expected to join the meeting on President’s request.  The Government and the GMOA both have come to a point of saving their honour.  According to the latest news sources the matter will be settled by this week. 

The point is whether the constitutions are for the well being of the citizens or for the politicians.  Is not important to find out the persons who are responsible for burning the doctor’s car and stoning their residences?  Should violence pass away so easily leaving space to justify arson and stoning.  If one stone is allowed to throw in anger today, the repercussion of tomorrow will be thousand stones.  After all Dr. Constantine’s bed pan seems  bring out the surrealistic element of the countries tragic situation.

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E-mail: jrc@syberwurx.com