Feb 21, Colombo: Supplementary staff in Sri Lanka state hospitals will launch a two-day strike today (21) and tomorrow (22) based on several demands.

Saman Jayasekara, General Secretary of the Joint Trade Union Federation of Professions Supplementary to Medicine says that the strike is to protest the Ministry of Health delaying the issue of the circular on raising service allowance.

Pharmacists, radiographers, medical laboratory technicians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists of all government hospitals will participate in the strike.

However, the staff in Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, Castle Street Women's Hospital, Maharagama Cancer Hospital and Peradeniya Teaching Hospital will not be engaged in the strike action on humanitarian grounds.

The strikers say they will also maintain the emergency services in government hospitals.