-By Michael Joachim
(Lanka-e-News -15.April.2026, 20.00 PM) “The greater the authority a doctor holds, the greater the duty to act with conscience—failure to do so is a betrayal of humanity itself.”
In every society, the medical profession occupies a sacred space. Doctors are entrusted not merely with knowledge, but with life itself. That trust is rooted in an unspoken social contract—one that places ethics above power, and service above self-interest. Today, in Sri Lanka, that contract stands gravely eroded.
At the center of this crisis is the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), whose repeated trade union actions, public statements, and troubling silences have collectively tarnished the image of what was once considered one of the most noble professions in the country.
This is not an abstract accusation. It is grounded in specific incidents—each of which reveals a disturbing pattern of arrogance, irresponsibility, and ethical collapse.
Consider first the controversial role played by the then GMOA President, Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, in advocating for the abrupt ban on chemical fertilizers under the administration of Gotabaya Rajapaksa. A medical professional, stepping far beyond his domain, used the authority of his office to influence national agricultural policy. The consequences were catastrophic: the paralysis of the agricultural sector, severe economic disruption, and a cascading crisis that contributed to national instability.
Yet, the GMOA neither distanced itself from this intervention nor apologized to the nation. Can this truly be dismissed as the act of an individual? Or must it be seen, more honestly, as an institutional failure—endorsed by silence?
Silence, in such circumstances, is not neutrality. It is complicity.
The pattern continues. When serious allegations of ethical misconduct and fraud emerged against Dr. Maheshi Surasinghe Wijeratne at Sri Jayawardenepura General Hospital, the GMOA was quick to disown her membership.Yet she remained a medical professional.
But disowning is not accountability.
Where was the strong, unequivocal condemnation? Where was the commitment to uphold the ethical standards of the profession? The public witnessed not moral leadership, but institutional evasion.
Even more alarming is the silence surrounding the grave allegations linked to Keheliya Rambukwella—a scandal that resulted in immense economic loss and, more tragically, incalculable human suffering.
This was not a minor lapse. It was described by many as one of the most serious crises in Sri Lanka’s recent medical history involving not merely the Minister but also senior medical professionals. Yet the GMOA, representing the collective voice of medical professionals, failed to act with urgency or moral clarity. It was not the profession, but social activists, who pushed for criminal investigations.
When those entrusted with safeguarding health remain silent in the face of such wrongdoing, what message does that send to the nation?
Equally troubling is the frequent resort to strike action—often over administrative or non-critical issues.
In March 2025, following the sexual assault of a female doctor at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, the GMOA called for immediate strike action demanding the arrest of the suspect. While the crime itself was heinous and deserved swift justice, the response raises serious ethical concerns.
Law enforcement acted promptly, arresting the suspect within a day. But had this not occurred, the strike would have continued—denying patients access to care and placing lives at risk. What was the justification for this “strike action “?
A criminal matter was effectively transformed into a bargaining tool.
This is a dangerous precedent.
Doctors are not ordinary workers. They are bound by the principles of the Hippocratic Oath:
Do no harm
Place patient welfare above all else
When strikes lead to cancelled surgeries, delayed treatments, and lack of emergency care, the immediate victims are not policymakers—but ordinary citizens, many of whom cannot afford private healthcare.
The contradiction is stark: a profession committed to saving lives engaging in actions that knowingly risk them.
One of the most disturbing aspects of this crisis is the apparent culture of unquestioned obedience within the profession.
Can it be said that all doctors share equal responsibility? Perhaps not equally—but certainly collectively. When a professional body acts repeatedly in ways that harm public interest, and its members neither dissent nor resist, silence becomes endorsement.
Doctors must ask themselves:
Will my actions harm patients?
Is this protest proportionate?
Are there ethical alternatives?
Professional ethics cannot—and must not—be subordinated to trade union directives.
Recent public outrage over the vandalism of the newly opened Pettah bus stand reflects how society condemns acts of destruction driven by political motives. Those involved were described as misguided individuals, manipulated by bankrupt political forces.
But how different are the actions of a powerful professional body that disrupts essential healthcare services, driven by its own agendas?
The only difference is this: one group lacks power, the other wields it.
And with greater power comes greater responsibility.
The misuse of great power and greater responsibility does not merely causes harm—it multiplies destruction and betrays the very trust it was meant to uphold.”
This is not merely a criticism. It is a call—urgent and necessary.
You are not instruments of any association. You are custodians of life.
The time has come to break from blind allegiance and reaffirm your commitment to ethical conduct. Challenge decisions that harm patients. Reject actions that compromise your oath. Lead, not as followers of authority, but as guardians of a noble calling.
Rebuilding public trust will not be easy. But it is possible—if you choose courage over compliance.
In a country struggling with economic hardship and institutional decay, the medical profession has a unique opportunity: to set an example of integrity, accountability, and moral leadership.
The question is not whether the profession has fallen.
The question is whether its members have the will to rise again.
Executive Director -Plantation Rural Education and Development Organization (PREDO)
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by (2026-04-15 14:34:38)
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