(UTV | COLOMBO) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed officials to understand the country’s current financial situation and take steps to address approved requests of nurses in a manner that does not affect the entire state service.
The President issued these directives at a discussion held with the Public Service United Nurses Association at the Presidential Secretariat this morning.
Several demands were discussed at the meeting, including establishing a university for nursing and the issuance of the circular for an allowance for official uniforms.
The President also issued directives to amend the Higher Education Act and to present it in Parliament in the near future.
President Rajapaksa instructed the Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Senior Prof. Sampath Amaratunga, to take steps in the meantime to merge nursing colleges and transform them to a national university.
Prof. Amaratunga informed that the Higher Education Act will be presented in Parliament in April and a Nursing University will be established before the end of May.
The President’s Media Division said the President instructed the Secretaries of Health and Finance to make necessary arrangements for the promotion from Grade 2 to Grade 1 in advance and to provide the uniform allowance.
President Rajapaksa added despite difficulties, steps have been taken to grant a Rs.5,000 allowance to all state sector workers as of January.
The President claimed that while one group tables demands, another group makes repeated requests, and called on all citizens to understand that all demands cannot be considered and met amidst a financial crisis.