Radiology Technologists Pause Strike Inquiry Assurance

COLOMBO (News 1st); The islandwide strike launched by the Government Radiology Technologists’ Association was temporarily suspended this morning (22 January 2026) at 8 a.m., bringing relief to hospitals and patients affected by the sudden disruption of services.

The decision came following late‑night discussions on Wednesday between union representatives and Deputy Health Minister Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, who assured that the government had already initiated an urgent inquiry into the allegations raised by the union.

Radiology technologists launched the strike at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, protesting what they described as illegal and discriminatory conduct by the Deputy Director of the Maligawatta Kidney Hospital.

The union accused authorities of failing to take action against the official.

During Wednesday night's talks, Deputy Minister Wijemuni pledged to create the conditions necessary for a fair, unbiased inquiry within the next seven days, in line with the union’s demands.

Following this assurance, the radiology technologists agreed to suspend the industrial action for a week.

With the strike temporarily called off, radiology departments in hospitals across the country are expected to resume full services from today.

Despite suspending the strike, the association expressed strong dissatisfaction over the impact caused on patient care during the protest.

They stated that all responsibility for any inconvenience or harm caused to patients during the strike lies with the Health Ministry officials who “failed in their duty” to address the misconduct allegations promptly.