4 Hurt as Sri Lankan Police Disperse Rally by Striking Nurses
Four people were injured Monday when Sri Lankan police used tear gas and batons to disperse about 200 striking nurses demonstrating in a dispute over state examination policies, hospital aides said.
Witnesses said that about 100 policemen blocked the street when placard-waving nurses tried to leave the Colombo General Hospital compound, where they were holding the demonstration, in an attempt to march outside.
More than 6,000 nurses on Monday joined about 2,000 striking doctors and dentists, who walked off the job last Wednesday.
The group is demanding that the Sri Lankan government not allow students at a private medical college to take an exam with state-educated graduates on July 30.
Private medical students were previously not eligible for government-recognized degrees, and the new system will allow them to compete for jobs in state hospitals.
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