Pregnant nurse infected COVID-19 in National Hospital of Sri Lanka

A pregnant nurse in the National Hospital of Sri Lanka is among the health workers who have been affected by COVID-19 infected while working.  

This nurse has worked in a ward where a patient was diagnosed positive for COVID-19. Authorities decided that her contact with the patient had not necessitated quarantine. However, the nurse stayed at home on her own decision and personal leave. Later, she found that she had symptoms and conducted a PCR test from the field in her residential area. The nurse has been now admitted to Colombo East Base Hospital in Mulleriyawa.

Government Nursing Officers' Association Chairman Saman Rathnapriya said that around 60 health workers including 20 nurses are infected by COVID-19 by now while another 300 are under quarantine. These health workers include doctors, nurses and other categories. 

Hospital sources indicate a lack of facilities such as transport, resting and quarantining for frontline health workers. Saman Rathnapriya requested the government to provide safety for the health staff. He urged the health authorities to take immediate decisions boldly to control the situation. 

He said that the Ministry of Health had not been prepared for a possible outbreak due to lack of vision and leadership.  

Sri Lanka public service nurses' strike likely to drag on

The strike of the nurses of Sri Lanka's hospitals is likely to drag on to the next week also, the developments in the health sector indicate.

The Government Nursing Officers' Association Chairman Saman Rathnapriya said today that the nurses would continue the strike until the authorities grant a solution to their demand. They demand the government to provide midwifery training to all student nurses as part of their preliminary training. Midwifery training was given to nurses earlier as a post basic training.

Saman Rathnapriya said that the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) must be responsible for the inconvenience caused to the public due to this strike. GMOA has rejected providing midwifery education to the student nurses and the nursing trade unions protest the move of the GMOA.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Public Service United Nurses' Union (PSUNU) Muruttettuwe Ananda Thero said that his union would strike only two days.

However, sources say that many of the hospital branches of the PSUNU are likely to decide to continue the strike.

Hospital services have been severely disrupted in Sri Lanka due to the strike of the nurses.