Mannar health workers protest against Sri Lankan government’s austerity measures

by Shabeeha
Feb 23, 2023

Health workers from Mannar General Hospital protested against the Sri Lankan government's austerity measures as the island continues to grapple with its economic crisis. 

The protesters called on the government to address the drug shortages in government hospitals, rising costs of electricity bills and to lower income taxes. The workers also stated that they would go on strike if their demands are not addressed by the government. 

Last week, crisis stricken Sri Lanka hiked power prices by 66% as part of its efforts to secure a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 


"We know that this will be hard on the public, especially the poor, but Sri Lanka is caught in a financial crisis and we have no choice but to move towards cost reflective pricing," Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera reportedly said.

"We hope that with this step Sri Lanka has moved closer to getting the IMF programme," he added. 

Healthcare services have been under pressure since the economy collapsed as Sri Lanka's depleted foreign reserves have made it difficult to import medicines and medical equipment. Sri Lanka, who import around 85% of their medical supplies, recently announced that non-urgent surgeries were to be postponed due to severe shortages. 

 

 

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