Politico Provokes Docs’ Strike at Dodangoda Hospital

Doctors at the Dodangoda peripheral hospital, in the Kalutara district,t launched a lightning strike yesterday after a key Pradeshiya Shaba Opposition member incited villagers there against them over the death of a three-year-old child who choked to death on June 27.

Leaflets had been distributed among people in the area against the Dodangoda hospital doctors. As a result, the villagers had asked the doctors to leave the hospital immediately.

The doctors were forced to resort to a trade union action in self-defense, the GOMA said.

GMOA Media Spokesman Dr. Navin de Soysa told The Island that a three-year-old child died, a few days ago, after choking on a rambutan seed.

The powerful opposition member of the Pradeshiya Shaba had provoked the villagers of the area by claiming that the child died due to the gross negligence of the doctors.

Dr. de Soysa added that as there was a threat to the lives of the doctors, they had launched a strike. The DMO and the doctors, mainly Registered Medical Practitioners, had reported the matter to the GMOA and to the Western Province Provincial Health Director Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva.

When contacted Harsha de Silva said that what actually happened was the child was dead on admission to the Dodangoda hospital. But, as people were unaware of the real cause of the death they had blamed the doctors. The villagers had verbally attacked the doctors asking them to leave the hospital.

Dr. de Silva added that he had asked the Dodangoda DMO to maintain the healthcare services of the hospital as usual without resorting to a trade union action. “I have already requested the police to provide necessary security. What can the doctors do when a dead child iss brought to the hospital? It was an Opposition party politician who had misled the villagers into protesting against the doctors. Everything that could be done was being done by the doctors,” Dr. Silva stressed.

The strike was later called off on the assurances given by the authorities on the security of doctors.

The Island/Don Asoka Wijewardena