Healthcare services in about 200 hospitals in the North - East were paralysed yesterday when doctors there launched a one day token strike to protest the failure to transfer them outside the two provinces under the annual general move. However, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry claimed that the strike was called off following a settlement that the GMOA reached with the ministry on Monday afternoon. The committee member of the GMOA Dr. Upul Gunasekara said all doctors at Teaching, General, District, and Base hospitals and government dispensaries in the two provinces struck work yesterday to protest what he called the inefficient and lethargic attitude of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry which led to the failure to issue the annual transfer list of doctors serving in the North East. "The list of transfers of about 200 post medical interns should have been published by the end of 2007 as those entitled to transfers are desperate to get out of the war - torn provinces. Besides, the replacements for those to be transferred have also been picked from the new batch of Medical Interns,' Dr. Gunasekara told Daily Mirror. Work at operation theatres, clinics and the OPDs in all affected institutions came to a standstill due to the strike. However the GMOA had arranged a skeleton service at the emergency units, he added. Meanwhile, the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry announced that the token strike was called off following a discussion held between the ministry and the GMOA on Monday. Ministry spokesman W.D.Wanninayaka said the ministry agreed to publish the transfer list of post medical interns in the north east within the next five days at the discussion held between the ministry and the GMOA. However, the transfers will become effective only from May 15 when replacements are available from the new batch of medical graduates. The GMOA had agreed to call off yesterday's strike after the discussion between the DGHS Dr. Ajith Mendis, DGHS, (Medical Service) Dr. Wimal Jayantha and the GMOA team headed by General Secretary Dr. Anurudha Padeniya, Mr. Wanninayaka said. Rejecting the claim of the ministry Dr. Gunasekara reiterated that the trade union action was carried out as planned yesterday and it was a success.