The Ministry of Health has moved to find both an immediate and a permanent solution to concerns over the official uniforms worn by Muslim female nursing officers at Kalmunai Hospital and other hospitals.
The issue was discussed at a special meeting chaired by the Health Minister at the Parliamentary Complex on Tuesday morning, with Muslim and Tamil government MPs also taking part, Daily Mirror reported.
The meeting focused on what the newspaper described as a sensitive matter that has drawn attention in recent days.
Participants stressed the need for a peaceful and practical solution — one that would ensure the smooth functioning of hospitals while safeguarding the rights of the nursing officers concerned and maintaining unity among all parties.
The Health Minister assured those present that immediate short-term measures would be introduced to address the current situation, the report said.
Daily Mirror’s account does not set out the specific uniform requirement in dispute, the number of nursing officers affected, or which other hospitals are involved beyond Kalmunai. It also does not name the MPs who attended or specify what the short-term measures will be. No corroborating report from another verified newsroom had been published at the time of writing.
Kalmunai, in the Ampara district of the Eastern Province, serves a predominantly Tamil-speaking population with a substantial Muslim community, and its hospital services have previously been the subject of administrative disputes along community lines.
