Dec 03, Colombo: A Sri Lankan court has given a ruling prohibiting the powerful doctors' trade union from carrying out any strike action.

The Colombo District Court has ruled that the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) should not engage in any strike action until a case filed against the Association's trade union actions is completed.

The court has issued this directive when hearing a petition filed by Juliyana Dahanayake, a patient from Mirihana.

She has said that she was receiving treatment for respiratory illness and that the GMOA had held a trade union action on October 4, 2011, which was illegal and went against medical norms and ethics.

Colombo District Judge R.A. Ranaraja has also ruled that the patient may have to seek treatment in future, and that the respondent members of the GMOA were obliged to treat her.

Dahanayake has stated in her petition that government medical officers were legally bound to provide treatment to those who sought treatment from them, and therefore the scheduled trade union action was illegal.