The statement:
Allied Health Degree Courses in Physiotherapy, Medical chemical Science, Pharmaceuticals, Radio Therapy, and Nursing were introduced in 2005/2006 at Peradeniya, Sri Jayawardenapura, Jaffna, Colombo, Ruhunu and Eastern Campuses to meet the requirements of professionals in the respective fields. Another reason to offer these degree courses was to enhance the standards of the health services. The latter was largely due to a result of a decision taken by the Ministry of Higher Education, and the University Grants Commission. However, the recruitment of graduates to the allied health service commenced after eight years.
From the very inception, a formal recruitment procedure had not been adopted in making appointments and there was no planning when fixing the salary scales of the appointees.
With this in view, since 2018, several trade unions, including the Allied Health Sciences Students’ Union (AHSSU), made proposals to the Public Service Commission to revise the recruitment procedure. AHSSU proposed to give priority to the graduates of the state universities during recruitment. However these proposals were neither accepted nor rejected by the authorities.
The graduates and the trade unions had talks at length with the Ministry of Health and it resulted in the decision being taken to make recruitments on the merit order as in case of Medical services. Responding to the request of the health ministry, the UGC forwarded the merit order of the Allied Health Degree holders.
According to a press release issued by the GPOA, its representatives had had continual talks with the health authorities to resolve this issue, but to no avail. The issue has been stagnating without positive response from the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile the Public Service Commission decided to recruit graduates of state universities and the private universities, both local and foreign, on the merit of how they fared at a general knowledge and intelligence test and the ministry has informed that this procedure will have to be adopted.
The AHSSU underscores that it is a clear indication that the recruitment of graduates in Allied Health stream based on a general knowledge and intelligence is not a scientific method.
This union also underscores that those who entered state universities are students who had scored the highest marks at their GCE Advanced Level Examination and it is a serious injustice on their part to implement a system which also provides opportunities to individuals who obtain degrees from institutions that award degrees through the payment of fees. The union affirms that this is another attempt to destroy free education and a method to promote education through private sector institutions.
Given the present scenario, there exists a severe shortage of physiotherapists in government hospitals for a long time. This development has resulted in the closure of physiotherapy units in several hospitals. The situation has worsened because many vacancies have been created in this industry due to workers retiring and those who are engaged in this trade finding employment abroad.
Meanwhile Allied Health Science Degree holders have been stagnating for about five year for want of employment. They have been left in desperate state as a result. As their last resort, Allied Health Science graduates launched a Satyagraha campaign on March 27 in front of the Ministry of Health. However, in the early hours of March 28, at about 2.30 pm, the police rushed to the scene and assaulted the participants engaged in the Satyagraha campaign and arrested 27 participants. The AHSSU maintains that as a result of the inhuman police action, five participants sustained injuries. The injured were admitted to the National Hospital. The Secretary of the Allied Health Science Graduates’ Collective and the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Convener was arrested and remanded till April 04. The GPOA strongly condemns the police assault on the peaceful Satyagraha campaign and compels the government to release the student movement leaders who have been remanded.
“We are prepared to appear on behalf of the grieved Allied Health Science Degree holders and would resort to trade union action if required,” the GPOA underscores.
The GPOA requests from the government to give priority to the graduates of the state universities and to make appointments based on the Merit Order procedure recommended by the University Grants commission.
(SLB)