Nurses union to sue doctors

By Santhush Fernando

Adding a twist to the war between nurses and doctors, the Government Nursing Officers’ Association says that it will initiate a Contempt of Court case against the Government Medical Officers Union (GMOA) for foiling clinical practice courses in contravention of a Supreme Court decision.
Speaking at a press conference, GNOA President, Saman Rathnapriya said that although GMOA had agreed to the commencement of practical courses for nurses and paramedic undergraduate during Supreme Court proceedings, its actions had clearly breached the judgments which amounted to contempt of court, according to the GNOA.
“By letter dated 20 June, 2009, Dr. R. Ruwanpura, President of GMOA Karapitiya Branch had written to Dean of the Medical Faculty at the University of Ruhuna, Prof. T R Weerasooriya, insisting that ‘no paramedical degree programme be held in any unit of the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital,” and that ‘alternative units have to be found’ for the same.” Rathnapriya said.
“The government took a policy decision to commence graduate courses for nurses and four allied health services- physiotherapy, pharmacology, radiology and medical laboratory technician, and courses started at the Jayawardenepura University on July 1, 2005. Further courses commenced at Peradeniya University in 2006 and Jaffna University in 2007,” he said.