Aug 17, Colombo: A special investigation has been launched to probe the grenade attack on the resident of a surgeon, Secretary to the Health Ministry Dr. Nihal Jayathilake has said.

The Secretary has said that Inspector General of Police has taken under the guidance of the Health Minister to launch an investigation into the incident of someone throwing a hand grenade into the garden of surgeon Lalantha Ranasinghe of the Colombo National Hospital.

The Police Media Spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana has said that police had deployed three teams to investigate the incident and the defused bomb has been sent to the Government Analyst for further investigations.

The Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA), the powerful union of Sri Lankan doctors launched a 24-hour strike Friday to protest the grenade attack. The strike will conclude at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow the union said.

However, the Secretary Jayathilake said the officials had a discussion with the representatives of the GMOA and they have agreed to carryout hospital services without inconveniencing the patients. He requested the doctors to help maintain free medical services for the benefit of the patients.

Deputy Director of the Colombo National Hospital Dr. U.P. Ariyawansa has told the state-run radio SLBC that treatment services at the emergency units are functioning as usual.

Services of many units except the Outpatient Department (OPD) and some clinics in the National Hospital are functioning normally. The intensive care units and the operation theatres are also functioning without any interruption, Director of the Colombo National Hospital Dr. Anil Jasinghe has said.

Directors of regional hospitals have said the functions of those hospitals are normal.

The GMOA believes the attack due to the stand of Dr. Ranasinghe against the private medical college.