Labour room tussle: Nurses threaten countrywide strike

By Dilanthi Jayamanne-January 31, 2014

The Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) yesterday warned that they would resort to a countrywide strike if midwives continued to oppose the midwifery training being given to nurses.

Chairman of the GNOA, Saman Ratnapriya said that nurses and Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) attached to MOH offices were prepared to carry out the midwifery clinics neglected by the midwives who were withdrawing their services in protest against the Health Ministry’s move to recommence midwifery training for nurses.

Ratnapriya said that labour room training had been put on hold for about two years due to the shortage of nurses in government hospitals. Nurses were not recruited for midwifery training last year. But, the training commenced last month due to a demand made by nursing trade unions. Approximately 1,100 nurses who completed their three year diploma course were enrolled. However, the training commenced in nurses training schools amidst strong protests from the Government Midwifery Service Association (GMSA). Midwives staged a protested on January 16 and withdrew their filed services from Wednesday (29).

Ratnapriya said that nurses and PHIs were prepared to step in and carry out the field services of midwives by attending to the MOH clinics and other midwifery services.