Courtesy Hiru News

Colombo, January 19, 2024 – The Senior Oncologist at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, who was recently arrested for an alleged assault, has decided to retire voluntarily. His letter of retirement has been submitted to the Ministry of Health, according to the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA).

The decision to retire comes in the wake of a contentious incident at the hospital, where Dr. Perera was accused of assaulting a junior staff member during a heated argument. The dispute arose after Dr. Perera criticized junior staff for disrupting hospital services with a token strike.

In a press conference, the GMOA and Specialist Doctors expressed dissatisfaction with the police’s handling of the case, noting that no action was taken regarding a previous complaint filed by Dr. Perera. The medical professionals also voiced displeasure at authorities acting only on the second complaint filed by the junior staff member.

The GMOA warned of a strict trade union action if proper measures are not taken at the institutional level and by the police against the oncology ward staff for participating in the health strike and the alleged assault on Dr. Perera