In defence of the doctors

By Dr. Sarath Gamini De Silva- 2021/06/1

I have been critical of the questionable activities of the GMOA hierarchy for quite some time. (See my article “Open Letter to Dr. Padeniya” in the Ceylon Daily News on 11.5.2017). However, I am writing now in defence of their recent action in vaccinating the parents and immediate family members of the doctors, who have been in the forefront of the battle against the pandemic. I have also said in the past that doctors are the products of this society (see “Doctors Are Products of This Society” in The Island 21.3.2017). As such, despite being members of a noble profession, it is unrealistic to expect doctors to be vastly different from others at a comparable level in a very corrupt society.

Doctors along with other healthcare workers have been engaged in a day and night battle to keep the COVID pandemic under control by treating patients, preventing deaths and curtailing its spread. They have been providing the decision- makers the medical services and guidance to assist in their actions to control the disease. They are in direct communication with the general public through the electronic media and the press providing guidance on relevant public health measures, augmenting the governmental action.

Efforts of the doctors and other healthcare workers would have been more effective had the political authorities and others in administration heeded the advice given right from the outset. The whole process is in a mess as they failed to take timely action thus allowing the numbers of patients to escalate exponentially. This mismanagement is now being seen drastically in the rollout of the vaccines. Despite providing a priority list for vaccination prepared by doctors’ associations according to WHO guidelines, the medical administration, most likely under political pressure, changed the order haphazardly after successfully completing the top priority groups. With serious doubts about the availability of the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine before the three-month period lapses there was much anxiety causing panic among those who had already received the first dose. There was a stampede to get the meagre supplies known to be still available. This sent the whole process in to disarray making it a free for all struggle to get the vaccination.

Allegations about the spouse of a top minister and a head of a municipal council giving vaccines to their well-wishers in their residences and other places were made. These allegations are not proven though probably true as no denials were forthcoming. How other politicians were interfering with vaccination efforts everywhere by getting their henchmen to break the queues is common knowledge. At least one of them has been remanded while many others are continuing their dirty work. It is widely alleged that these politicians and their stooges may actually be selling the vaccines. Knowing their past misdeeds, there is no reason not to believe these rumours. Despite public complaints there has not been any investigation into the allegations of malpractice. It is unfortunate that a lifesaving healthcare exercise has been politicized to such an extent probably under the patronage of the top leadership.

Various categories of workers in both the private and the public sectors have received the vaccine in their own office premises. Parliamentarians and their extended families, lawyers in courthouses, employees in ministries, banks and trade establishments, etc., have been vaccinated in large numbers, without any reference to a priority list. Members of the Army and Police also had their families vaccinated. There is no doubt that many claiming to be kith and kin, including distant relations and associates of all these people would have benefitted. If one were to prepare lists of recipients there would be many with multiple spouses, parents, and in-laws among them!

In their letter to the Minister of Health on the 12th of May, the GMOA requested vaccination of the family members of all healthcare workers as first contacts. As usual there has been no response. Under these circumstances it was humanly not possible for doctors to keep ignoring the demands for vaccination coming from their own kith and kin. Hence, although the nurses and other staff are said to have boycotted the programme in many places, the doctors went ahead with the vaccination process of family members. No doubt it was unavoidable in a hastily arranged mass campaign of this nature that some would have abused the effort by serving those who cannot be considered as close family.

The trade unions of other categories of healthcare staff should also demand this essential service and there is no doubt the doctors will cooperate with them. When some of the nursing staff working in the main hospital at Mulleriyawa caring for COVID patients did not receive the vaccine, their unions should have been more assertive in getting that gross anomaly corrected. Even a threat to withdraw services after giving adequate notice would have been quite reasonable. When the authorities remain so irresponsible in their handling of a deadly epidemic, it is up to those caring for the sick to demand their dues. GMOA, being a trade union, has done its duty towards its members.

Thus, my contention is that the recent GMOA action despite all its deficiencies does not deserve the severe criticism coming from all quarters. Unfortunately, this is mostly due to the adverse public opinion created by the politically biased, unreasonable actions of the GMOA leadership for many years now. In doing so, more often than not, they have come in to conflict with others in the medical profession and allied services as well. It is high time that they reviewed their modus operandi and gave up their obvious political affiliations and returned to its former glory as a responsible and respectable trade union.