28 March, 2024

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Puswedilla, Medical Mercenaries & Regime Change

By Granville Perera

The strike called by the GMOA with the support of about 30 odd trade unions in the health, education and transport sectors proved to be just another “Puswedilla”. They only used their licence to kill by depriving the poorest in Sri Lanka of medical attention. Now, they are threatening to strike again, with more venom. They do this while they enjoy all the perks and privileges offered by the State including license to practice in private hospitals.  The Government should use an iron whip and bring in legislation where trade union action becomes a criminal non bailable offence related to essential services. An iron fisted rule of Lee Kuan Yew or our own Gota style seems to be the only style of governance that would be understood by these mercenaries of health. Hope Sarath Fonseka would be able to fit in to his former subordinate’s shoes and deliver. I am sure; there would be even public support for white vanning this medical mafia.

The maverick in Parliament, Ranjan Ramanayake provided documentary evidence that Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, the Mahinda Rajapaksa stooge and disciple and President of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) was caught in the act by confirming his consultation appointment on the 5th of May 2017 when doctors around the country were supposed to be on strike, called by the GMOA. A journalist plant of the GMOA probably would have tipped off Padeniya that Ranjan Ramanayake had called a press conference to prove that Pavadena ya” was consulting private patients while the entire GMOA was supposed to be on strike, hence the call from the private hospital cancelling Ramanayake’s appointment during the press conference.  What a hypocrite who took the Hippocratic oath. He should be sacked from Government service for this scandalous offence and investigated for the crimes he committed to the poor patients. Its time, Ravi’s taxmen went after them during the consultation hours and insist that hospitals issues official receipts for doctor’s fees.  How disgraceful can it get when you think of the genuine doctors who earned the highest respect and served the country only a few decades ago. The poor patients worshiped them and the current day doctors have only curses from the poor. I knew of a few who would pay for the medicine of the poor if they were not available in the hospital.

The current breed of pompous Government medical practitioners seems to have taken total control of the poor man’s life and each time the Government farts, they go for trade union action compromising the health of the poorest segment of the country. It is time the country took these dirty bulls by their horns and reined them in through Sarath Fonseka or a people’s movement that can kick the asses of these bloody mercenaries who call themselves doctors. Gone are the days when the doctors were the most respected, and worshiped for their yeomen service. The fault lies with the Government for opening this noble profession to undesirables who do not posses basic social etiquette. Private medical services should be curtailed long before private medical education is censured. Those serving in government hospitals should not be allowed to practice anywhere outside, whether it is in their own private practice chambers or any of the swindling private hospitals. Holding the health sector to ransom by these mercenaries is because of the short supply of medical professionals in this country. SAITM and the thousands of students who study abroad can fill this vacuum, but these vultures that probably do not understand the Hippocratic oath will not allow this to happen. All this may change when the government signs the ECTA agreement with India, which will enable Indian professionals to practice in Sri Lanka. Laws should also be amended to allow foreign specialist doctors to serve in both private and state medical facilities without ERPM. A good precedent is the excellent medical professionals currently working for private medical services with the highest professional etiquette. Their professionalism is beyond question and they treat patients with due respect and allocate at least 20 minutes per patient. How many of our medical mercenaries even spend 5 minutes with a patient?

The SAITM protests started claiming the standards were substandard and the wealthy paid their way in to medical education without the required A/L qualifications. mySAITM stories brought out the brilliance of these kids who have chosen to live and study in Sri Lanka even refusing scholarships from foreign universities. Dr. Nalinda Herath, the secretary of the GMOA who had forgotten his Advanced Level examination results is accused of getting in through the district quota with three simple passes. He hasn’t denied the allegation yet. How can this doctor who could not remember his AL results remember what he studied at medical school when he has to treat hundreds of patients everyday. Those who talk about standards in education and who crept in through the district quota have had substandard education. How can one expect to trust a patient’s life with someone who is nowhere closer to the brilliance of SAITM kids?

SAITM students need not sit for an ERPM exam as they would study local medical conditions as part of their curricula, but they hold to ransom the hundreds who qualify abroad and have to go for ERPM classes paying exorbitant fees in classes where at least 400 students gather in one class. Their earnings for a 2-3 hour session is a minimum of Rs.450,000. Only Wele Suda or Potta Naufer will probably earn more than this holier than thou mafia. How they fleece these innocent children who have scarified the best part of their lives in hellholes without parental love or the privileges of home to become medical professionals. This unregulated medical mafia ensures that only a limited number gain entrance to the system by failing them in the viva. Even those who qualify are sent to god forsaken places in the country while these vultures who have studied and lived off our tax money get the best hospitals for their internship.

It is time the Government took some forward looking steps to regulate the medical profession and bring in independent administrators to regulate this profession without allowing them to regulate themselves. Criminal negligence or malpractice in their profession cannot be moved in Courts as one will not be able to find a doctor who would give evidence against their own. Even doctors who are not a member of the

GMOA will stand by them when they are threatened by legal or any other action by civilians. This has to stop or the people may be driven to take the law into their hands, which would obviously be a dangerous precedent.

Trade Union Action:

While trade union action is part of any thriving democracy, but there should be limits to its exercise. Those that put peoples’ life at risk, whether they are doctors or security forces, those who perform essential services should be debarred from strike action. A mechanism should be developed through a high-powered arbitration committee similar to the Constitutional Council that should be above political interference. Activities of politically motivated trade unions should be made punishable as a criminal act. These may sound dictatorial, but for an emerging nation, a Lee Kwan Yew needs to emerge.

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Latest comments

  • 11
    1

    GMOA Medical mercenaries are in the pay of multinational Phamaceutical companies and are angry about the passage of the National Drugs Policy Bill.
    Hence distracting the moda masses from their corruption with the SITEM protests. Meanwhile the Drug Companies like Baur and company are all over the place and penetrating Medical Orgnaizations like the SL Neurological Association to Sell useless and over prices drugs like INTERFERON!

    This is the truth about the Doctors Mafia!

    • 2
      2

      Are you sure?

  • 7
    1

    The writers frustration with the medical profession is well understood but proposed solutions are statements made in anger rather than practical propositions. Trade union action should clearly be limited . Private Practice for government doctors should certainly be regulated and can be organized and brought under gov control . on the contrary government should have a hands off policy on the private sector physicians and let the markets decide on a payment model doctors who do not want to serve the government sector should join the private hospitals. Physicians practices should be regulated and kick backs from private hospitals , labs and pharmaceutical companies investigated and culprits prosecuted.
    No country has open borders for professionals and standards have to be maintained. Common board examinations to candidates both local and foreign to maintain minimum standards could be implemented while medical schools both govt and private should be periodically evaluated and certified as degree awarding institutions based on the same criteria.

  • 5
    1

    Due to doctors mistake poor have cost the patient’s life and no poorest no claim compensation from GMOA or gone on strike, as doctor-patient relationship has been eroded by burdensome strike.

    Why not unveil them to impose penalties. The common is Diagnostic error.

    And they cannot use there intelligent to solve the SAITM problem other than the two things below.

    CLOSE SAITAM FUTURE OF SAITAM STUDENTS ARE DROWNED

    NO MEDICINE POOR PATAINTS ARE GROUND

  • 3
    11

    Granville must be an arch supporter of Alfonso Bastian Ramanayakage Ranjan.

    Dr Padeniya is a Pediatric Neurologist.Perhaps Alfonso can do with some treatment.

    After threatening the Hiru Journalist and smacking him in front of the Camera for asking Alfonso about corrupt practices, it has been proved that Alfonso pocketed over 35 Mil LKR by selling his car permit just before that incident..

    He demanded the Journalist to apologize and declared that he has not taken a single cent from Yahapalana Government.

    Wonder whether his loyal supporters still go to see him cheap comedy shows.

    Dr Padeniya and Dr Nuwan Soysa are no push overs for sure.

    They know what this Yahapalanaya will do to the free education, free health care , and free university education of the Dalits, who are the great majority of the inhabitant population.

    Both Batalanda and Bodhi Sira camps are on fire not firing.

    Young Senasinghe read the riot act to boss Batalanda.

    Young Jayasekera went further and called the Yahapalana Cabinet, crooks and rogues.

    May GOD give SLMC the strength to save the country from these Yahapalana sinners and prevent Hindian Modi establishing a new Chola Chola era in Srilanka.

    • 5
      1

      Now that Sumane has spoken in favour of Paradeniya it is confirmed that GMOA is working on a political agenda to bring MR back to power.

  • 6
    0

    I for one will be very happy seeing a few GMOA types at the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

  • 7
    0

    Indeed Strikers are hypocrites who took the Hippocratic oath. What a surprise Dr. Nalinda Herath, the secretary of the GMOA who had forgotten his Advanced Level examination results is accused of getting in through the district quota with three simple passes.

    Why do the Sri Lankans elect the coward?

  • 2
    0

    Doctor heal thyself.Think of DITTADAMMA VEDANIYA KARMA, UPAPAJJA VEDANIYA KARMA , and APARAPARIA VEDANIYA KARMA.

  • 0
    0

    Well said!!!

  • 6
    0

    The basics that these so called MEDICAL DOCTORS to make clear is each of them have got their degree completed by the tax payers funds.
    Some amongst them are made to believe, it should be the responsibility of a state. But that is not. So many countries have failed to offer free education at University level. This small country having fought a 3-decade long civil with society and almost everyting being destroyed to deteriorating levels, now in a position to rebuild everything up for a better future at least for sake of youth. But not getting it, just intoxicated to some extremists agendas of previous brutal regime, to become caricatures not thinking twice about the danger being made to common man is really a curse. This we dont need to see it as SAITM issue, but it has already come to the level to call it, an action being taken by few swollen headed men in medical cloaks but in the reality, they are provable opportunists.
    Very same men to have let it go, during the high days of MR tyranny and now turn out to be as if they got their rebirth since 8th Jan 2015, reach beyond comphrehension to any average thinkers.Unfortunately, not to so called POWER intoxicated memebers in GMOA. People have to send these men home forever. There are serveral other reasons these men to stand against, that are more related to drug marketing related issues than anything else.

  • 1
    0

    Mahinda did 5 strategic blunders since November 2014 – holding presidential election 2 years early, not contesting alone at the 2015 general election, not resigning from the SLFP, protesting the Hambantota deal with China and meeting Modi. I wish he hadn’t.

    • 2
      0

      Unfortunately, Mahinda Rajapakshe has now become a carricature of Wimal Weerawanse. Anyways, MR s situation so so pathetic if anyone noticed the way, he was made to seat in the same row where former senior politicians incl. Prez Chandrika sat in the Grand session held in BMICH lately.
      But his constituent men were calling to hold BLACK FLAGS, was not even a word as, once again prevaricated by Mahinda shameless Rajapakshe. I call him not MR but MSR from recent silly developments onwardst
      :

      • 2
        0

        Yes, current situation has brought MR to his knees.

        Either he should go retirement or just leave politcs, can be a bless to lanka AND its future. His idiosyncracy not allowing current leaders to do the job, shows his power greediness.
        Besides, just because his term put the stop to LTTE terror within the country, if anyone thinks he is the only leader to rule this nation – that should be rooted out from the average mind set for the progress of the nation. Alone the debts made by MR et al are being criticsed by world press, calling him, should be no wise to have taken taken many loans from China. And that is the reason why current or any other govt to go after any men, leasing the countries ports, airports or whatever.

    • 0
      0

      A man who has been caught by sorcery tricks and astrology, what cant go wrong.No leaders we had to have been that stupid, but Rajapakshe proved it by all means.
      Today, the world is becoming small thanks to the information exchanges through revolutionary discoveries . So, as had been the case several decades ago, voodoo healers to allow the state leaders decisions about the state….. ?
      Thanks god, current leaders are not after ASTROLOGY and SORCERY as had been in the days of MR. බොරුවෙන් ජේවත් උත්සාහගන්න මිනිහා කොතනක හරි ලොකුවි දියට හොට බිම ඇනගන්නව…anyone who makes every efforts to fool the poor, will have to face it like or not. That is what MR et al has been upto now.

  • 1
    0

    President Maithripala Sirisena rubbished claims the turnout at the Joint Opposition May Day rally at Galle Face was an indication of a growing opposition.

    “If they think they can change the government by calculating the amount of people who turned up at the May Day rally, they are living in a dream. It is a joke,” the President said. Remember the massive crowds gathered at the 2015 presidential elections for mahinda by throwing out freebies.

    He was addressing an event at Aralaganwila to handout Mahaweli deeds to one hundred thousand people.

    President Maithripala Sirisena also derided the opposition launched protest against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “the same people who called for black flags crept in to meet the Indian Premier in the night,”

  • 4
    1

    Well done Granville, well written… Yes, it certainly is high time this nonsense was stopped, once and for all…

  • 3
    0

    Lee Kuan Yew a Cambridge educated lawyer bankrupted opposition through the courts, the uneducated blunderers here used the tactics of low life dogs to silence opponents.
    The Tigers nor the Rajapaksas could have risen under Lee rule.
    Singapore classic example of educated far sighted rule without even a drop of water or a coconut to start from?
    An island offshore created for garbage dump, world class public transport, severe jail terms for corruption and the lights never go out.

  • 2
    0

    Well done Granville for this blood and guts exposé highlighting the devious tactics of our doctors. Sadly, many of those who enter the medical profession in Sri Lanka these days fail to pay attention when they take their Hippocratic oath on graduation day. Instead they ended with a hypocrite’s oath.

    Like the majority of our our politicians who enter politics to serve themselves (and not the country), many of our present-day doctors in Sri Lanka enter medicine to get rich rather than to alleviate suffering.

    The quicker we identify their devious ways, and name and shame them, the better.

  • 3
    0

    It is illegal for SAITM to sit for ERPM which is for foreign medical graduates only. SAITM is local, registered under UGC like other state schools, private KDU and NCMC before them, which Prof Carlo headed. But to extract money over a 2 year period, they force SAITM with it, though forensic and community has been covered. Psycho GMOA in govt. hospitals behave like owners, unjustly calling ‘ standard deficient.’ Why are SLMC deans fearful to allow SAITM to sit Common MCQ of state MBBS to prove their standard? Want to fail SAITM and delay further. Terrorist dictators Hitler, Saddam, Osama, RW, VP have similar ends.
    Difficult to find committee of honest, above board humans of integrity.

  • 3
    2

    GMOA may not consist entirely of angels. In the event of a strike it is the ordinary poor Lankans who will be affected. It is precisely this aspect that SAITM is trying to exploit/blackmail. SAITM was created by the upper class, for the upper class.

    Granville Perera will no doubt agree that in the event of a strike (or otherwise) the SAITM class will have the private hospitals.

    • 2
      0

      Not the for the competent upper class who will go to Colombo or Peradeniya but the incompetent upper class.

      • 0
        0

        Don’t imagine and go mad. These were students already enrolled. Nobody can stop SAITM without legal documents, simply because mad dogs bark. Anyway wait for your next shock.

      • 0
        0

        These insecure dalits with chip on their shoulders are all the time talking of class distinctions. For goodness sake you also become upper class once and for all

  • 2
    1

    If the professionals cannot offer the public their services for whose education the public funds were utilized, the professionals should be made to return all the monies so spent by the public with interests and used it to treat the public by foreign doctors.

  • 1
    0

    Could they have done this under the previous Regime? It’s about time the Government act tough on humanitarian grounds and declare Health, Transit and Education as essential services and take stern action against the vialaters. If no proper action is taken, reluctantly the Citizens would not mind returning to former Lawless corrupt Banana Republic with Jungle Law.

  • 0
    0

    “Dr. Nalinda Herath, the secretary of the GMOA who had forgotten his Advanced Level examination results is accused of getting in through the district quota with three simple passes”

    This is how many have got into state medical faculties and most of the students who got very good results are outside the state universities because their places were grabbed by these students who got admitted through the sympathy district basis scheme with results ass low as 3 simple passes .

    The only fault these students who have got very good results yet kept out was because they were educated in good schools now being punished for it. It is these good students are now in SAITM and these students in state University medical faculties and the doctors who entered with 3 simples in their AL exam are now telling the students in SAITM (who have obtained much better results) are of poor quality and will make poor doctors.

    Dr. Nalinda Herath is now the secretary of the GMOA with the 3 simple passes would have been very low down the all island merit list and prior to the sympathy district basis admission scheme would have no chance to enter any university course. Many with 3 passes became radiographers, Medical lab technologists and now he got into to the medical faculty on this dubious scheme and talking big only to cover his sins.

    If he has any sense of fairness will resign for the top GMOA post and give up being a doctor in the same manner he went public to tell SAITM students are not fit to be doctors. First he must know if at all he is the most unfit person to become a doctor and all 100% of SAITM students have got much better results than him and than many now in the state medical faculties. As I had told only fault was they went to good schools and so are punished for it. They have to get much higher grades and marks to enter. the state medical faculty and which is almost an impossibility unless one is a genius.

  • 1
    0

    O.K. Let them strike.This is the golden opportunity for the Govt: to strike while the Iron is Hot;

    —-No Private Practice.
    —-Vacation of Post if you keep away indefinitely.
    —-Fill the ensuing vacancies with doctors from India and China.The Govt: can hit two birds with one stone apart from performing a caesarian operation on the womb of Time.
    All this may sound to be a bit impractical but all what I am trying to say is that concrete plans to deal with the GMOA must be in place and their bluff must be called off!

  • 0
    0

    With globalization and an estimated 1 million Sri Lankan’s serving as expatriate labour globally, its time that we opened our health sector to foreign doctors. There are thousands of Indian doctors who would come to Sri Lanka and practice ethical medicine. We have good examples of excellent doctors at Durdans, Appolo, Asiri etc. who have become sought after because of their commitment to the patients. If anyone has any doubts, please do go for a consultation to the many Indian doctors in these private hospitals and you will know what kind of monsters most Sri Lankan doctors are. Yes, there is a minority of Sri Lankan doctors who are more or less gods

  • 0
    0

    The time is soon coming for Padeniya to face the day of reckoning when he would be send to eat state sponsored food in prison for contempt of court. That is the day the others in GMOA would stick their tails inside their … and bolt

    • 0
      0

      Wrong. Strong network like Rohana Wijeweera in Jaffna prison and JVP in south had to strike. When wickedness is high, then only death comes. AP promised funding for children in Australia. So worthwhile struggle to kill others until

  • 0
    1

    If the future of my child is threatened by GMOA and Carlo Fonseka, it would be my turn to deliver justice from hell to these scoundrels

    • 0
      1

      Rebel CF has no clinical power and clings to GMOA to fail SAITM MBBS. Go to Supreme Court to mandate any training or exams. these crazy deans suggest, to be legally given to SAITM before MBBS which should be the final exam. for locals under UGC. SAITM MBBS needs to be excellent and go straight into internship.

    • 2
      0

      S P
      You destroyed your child’s future by enrolling him/her in SAITM which had no accreditation from the SLMC!
      Don’t blame anyone other than yourself.

    • 0
      0

      Parent, You are totally unaware that SAITM fell into the trap/pit/hell of GMOA/SLMC combo which forced Act 16/ERPM on it, through the rabid SLMC deans’ report, into the hands of unsuspecting, ignorant and clueless politicians who agreed. Sadly, SAITM accepted the time bomb. Jubilant Carlo Fonseka is now saying that a solution is in sight. This means that they can now control SAITM MBBS, passing and sending only 10% into internship, and the rest will have to leave SL with the help of job agencies or be like CEO SAITM who was failed 8 times. State MBBS are all interned, and SAITM too has same legal right, but only 10% will get it.

    • 0
      0

      SAITM Parent: What if you end up in heaven? You may need Green Card to go to hell. Hell is overflowing with executioners.

    • 0
      0

      SP, Go to President now with other parents and tell him that 90% of SAITM MBBS will not get internship with current govt. proposals and to shut down SAITM now. Act 16 pass rate is only 10%. Rest have to look up for justice.

  • 0
    0

    “The Daily Mirror” of 17 May reports the GMOA revelation that SAITM has enrolled new students contrary to GoSL’s instruction. If true, it shows SAITM has political support and is willing to take business risks. The parents of the students enrolled are willing to risk the expenses. SAITM issue has become a class issue.

  • 0
    0

    George Bush’s second term was handed over by US Supreme Court. SAITM MBBS might end up being awarded by Lankan Supreme Court. MBBS (SAITM) will be an unknown degree. How about MBBS (CA)? Here CA refers to Court Award.

  • 0
    1

    These doctors do not act like professionals. Today medical profession is a mafia.We have other professionals
    like architects ,engineers accountants and lawyers. None of them descend to the low levels and hold the
    public to ransom.
    If an engineer or architect gives you a plan you can understand what it is. The accountant can give a statement of accounts and you can read and understand.
    But when the our doctors give you a prescription you cannot read and know what it says.
    Very strangely these” vedhas “, all have bad handwriting. Perhaps, one has to have bad handwriting
    to pass out as a doctor.
    We have had enough of their threats.Its time the government declared it an essential service and sack
    the fellows if they strike. We may be able to get doctors from China and maybe India.

    • 0
      0

      You don’t need doctors from anywhere. The patients through fear will cure themselves. The latest self fear scam is by SLMC fake grenade and they want protection. When Prof. Carlo had real fear threat on his life, he ran away to Finland and gained financially too. That’s why he fails 90% ERPM for Finland, and wants to put SAITM into that group without giving them internship here. Insanely demented.

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