Health Ministry To Establish An Eye Bank

Health Ministry is planning to form a National Eye Bank aiming to cater to the needs local community  on  the Eye transplants and to export the Eye cornea to other Asian Countries.Singaporean Eye Bank funded the building of this  local Eye Bank and an accord regarding this is scheduled to be signed today  between Health Ministry Officials and the Eye Bank Officials.

The proposed Eye Bank is build attach to  the Colombo Eye Hospital .

GMOA Seeking President's Intervention To Stop Brain Drain Of Government Executives

The Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) has requested from the President Mahinda Rajapaksha to implement a new salary structure based on the National Salary Commission initiated in the year 2006 to prevent Brain Drain of nearly 40,000 Executive grade State Officers including of the Government Doctors.

According to the Assistant Secretary of the GMOA Dr.Chandana Atapattu Around 30,000 executive grade state officers including 13,200 Government Doctors are prone to go abroad  seeking higher salaries due to the low salaries they have received now.

Cabinet Approved A Compensation For A HIV Positive

Cabinet has approved a Cabinet Paper on last wednesday  submitted by the Health Minister Maithreepala Sirisena to grant a compensation to a 21 year old Boy who got contacted the HIV/AIDS Virus through a blood transfusion.The Boy who was one year old when contacted the virus is to be granted Rs.750,000 as a Compensation from  the Government.
Health Minister was submitted the Cabinet paper seeking providing the grant to the Hiv Infected boy sometime back under the guidance of the President Mahinda Rajapaksha.

Polonnaruwa Hospital Taken To The Government

One of the major government hospitals in the North Central Province the Polonnaruwa Hospital was today taken to the Central Government with the approval of the Provincial Council in North and Central Province.Health Minister Maithreepala Sirisena was participated as the chief guest of this occasion.

The Kandy Police Began An Inquiry On A Mother's Death

The Kandy police is probing on a Mother's death caused due to  a legal abortion Kandy Hospital sources said today.The deceased mother who is in her 30's died yesterday at a Medical Ward in Kandy Hospital  due to" septesemia" a medical condition  caused due to the illegal abortion she has underwent in a private place Hospital sources revealed.

The inquest on the Death of the deceased is scheduled to be held in this evening.

Workshop For Parliamentarians To Promote Breastfeeding

The Family Health Bureau(FHB) of Sri Lanka is organizing  a full day workshop on 05th of August to educate Parliamentarians on the importance of implementing the National Policy on Breastfeeding and the Child Breastfeeding Director of the FHB Dr.Deepthi Perera said today.The seminar which is due to be held in Parliamentary premises   coincide with the National Breastfeeding Weak falls from 01st of August to 07th of August this year will help to make a natioanl consesus on Breastfeeding she further added.

Fourty Eight Swine Flu Patients Died In Sri Lanka Since Last June

Although the former Health Ministry Authorities stressed that no one has died from the global epidemic Swine Flu commonly known as H1N1 a senior Epidemeologist attached to the World Health Organization(WHO) Dr.Ranjan Wijesinha yesterday urged that around 48 peope died due to the disease since last June and around 642 patients are infected from the disease upto now.The first H1N1 Patient was reported from Sri Lanka in 16th of June 2009 and that patient was a Sri Lankan Boy reside in Australia.

There were 7 maternal deaths among the reported Swine flu deaths according to Dr.Wijesinha.

Two Hundred And Sixty Four Non communicable Disease Patients Died Anually

In Sri Lanka Two hundred sixty four Patients suffering from non communicable diseases and One Dengue patient died daily according to the  resident representative of the World Health Organization (WHO)in Sri Lanka  Dr.Firdosi Rustom  said today.According to him the majority of the patients suffering from Non Communicable diseases died from Diabetes,Heart Diseases,Blood Pressure and Stroke.

Dr.Rustom further added that even people are aware of Dengue they are not aware of Non Communicable diseases.Therefore the Health authorities should  take steps to educate the public on these diseases to avoid mortality.

Clerical Staff Members Of The Polonnaruwa Hospital Drawing A Huge Salary Due To False Claims

According to the Health Authorities of the Polonnaruwa Base Hospital one of the Major Hospitals situated in the North Central Province the Twenty Clerical Staff members attached to  the Hospital are drawing a sum of Rs.40,000 each as their monthly salary by applying  fake Overtime payments claims

VIP Resident Area In Colombo Became A Paradise For Dengue Mosquitoes

Around 24 percent of the houses and Institutes situated in Cinnamon Garden Area in Colombo where the large number of VIP's reside in became a Dengue mosquito  breeding ground according to the latest survey done by the Health Officials.The Colombo Chief Medical Officer In Health Dr,Pradeep Kariyawasam has stated that a majority number of Dengue patients reported from the City of Colombo are reported from the Cinnamon Gardens.

He further added that the Colombo Public Health Department inspected more than 7000 apartments in the Western Colombo,Eastern Colombo and Borella Areas on last Saturday where 1414 houses and departments were identified as Mosquito Breeding Grounds.Public Health Department today began the issuing of last warnings to these apartment owners to clean their surroundings withing a weak else faced a legal action.

University Academics To Launch A Token Strike Tomorrow

All Sri Lankan University Academic Staff will launched an one day token strike tomorrow(27) demanding the Government a pay hike for their staff members .Although the  Minister of Higher Education S.B Dissanayake announced in Parliament last weak that a new salary structure for the University Academic staff   will introduced soon ,the Staffers decided to launch their token strike as planned earlier to win the demand.

Twelve Thousand Three Hundrad Sixty Dengue Committes To Comabat Dengue Menace

Twelve thousand three sixty Dengue Control Committees formed in National,Provincial,District and Rural basis monitored the nationwide Dengue control programme launched by the Ministry of Health according to the Health Minister Maithreepala Sirisena.These Dengue control Committees including the Nine Provincial,25 District level committees with a single National Committee.

Meanwhile Health Ministry  lunched a programme to train Sri Lankan Doctors on how to minimize the Dengue deaths through Six local Doctors who underwent a special training on how to treat Dengue Patients in Thailand recently.

Sri Lankan Ace Spinner Murali Said Farewell To Test Cricket After Taking 800 Test Wickets

Sri Lankan Ace spinner Muththaiya Muralideren today retired from Test Cricket in grand style by taking his 800th Test Wicket in the concluded First Test against India at Galle .While Muralideren achieved a milestone of 800 Test Wickets Sri Lanka beat India in the Test by 10 wickets.

Playing his last Test innings Muralideren took Three Wickets in addition to the Five wicket haul in the first innings.Murali finished the Test Match with a Match figure of Nine Wickets for One hundred ninety one.After the Match he was honored by presenting him A Gold Coin and Gold plated elephant statue  .President Mahinda Rajapaksha too witnessed the Match in the early hours of the day.Muralideren Now took 800 Test Wickets by playing 133 Test Matches for Sri Lanka.

Two Colombo Areas Identified As Dengue Paradises

Around 15 percent of the total houses and institutions situated  in Northern and Middle Colombo areas are identified as Dengue Mosquito breeding places according to the Chief Medical Officer of

Health of Colombo Dr.Pradeep Kariyawasam.Already Colombo Public Health Department issued final warnings to 1563 houses and Institutions ordering to  clean up their premises within a week's time.Those who are not responded to this warning positively will face a legal action he stressed.
Already 302 Dengue patients were reported within the first 21 days of July and there were 2 deaths according to Dr.Kariyawasam.

Angoda Mental Health Hospital Re Named

The Ministry of Health re named the Mental Hospital of Angoda  as the National Mental Health Institute-Sri Lanka .Health Minister Maithreepala Sirisena has been initiated the new name board of the Hospital yesterday.Minister also opened the newly built Judicial Mental health rehabilitation unit of the Hospital and initiated the new course conducted for  hospital nurses on community medicine.

Addressing the gathering Health Minister said that the main cause of the majority of Mental health disorders in the country is  Politicians and the Government Officers.

Colombo Public Health Department Issued Last Warnings To Dengue Mosquito Breeders

The Public Health Department of the Colombo Urban Council today issued final warnings to 15,873 Residents and Institution Owners in Northern and Middle Colombo Areas  over keeping dengue breeding places warning that if they do not clean their surroundings and destroying these Breeding places within one weak will face legal action against it.

According to the Colombo Chief Medical Officer Dr.Pradeep Kariyawasam the health department carried out house to house and Institute inspection on Saturday to destroy dengue breeding places and seen almost every house and institution they checked are risky areas for  dengue mosquito breeding.Therefore they issued last warning for these people and they will faced a legal action if not co operate on the issue.Rotary Club organized this event.

Bacterial Toxines Suspected As The Main Cause Of The Chronical Kidney Disease Spread In Two Provinces

The medical research team conducting an investigations on the unknown chronicle kidney disease spreading in the the provinces of North Central and Uva Provinces now suspects the main cause of the disease may be the toxins released by some kind of Bacteria in the waters of these provinces.Earlier the research team says that the fluoride levels in the waters or Metals Cadmium and Aluminum might be the cause of this disease.However later it proved wrong and now the researchers are researching on their new clue according to the Nephralogist Professor Rizvy Scheriff who is a member of the WHO(World Health Organization) led research team.

Around Sixty Local Medical Researchers led by a Consultant of the WHO Dr.Shantha Mendis are involved in the research work of this unknown Kidney Disease which caused several thousand of deaths of the patients in above provinces who are mainly farmers.The Research Work expected to finished at the end of this year.

Dengue patients are in rise

The total number of Dengue patients reported so far this year passed the 20,000 mark and now stood as 20,647 patients.There were 149 dengue deaths according to the Sri Lankan Epidemiology Unit sources.

The highest number of Dengue patients were reported from the Colombo District and Gampaha and Kandy became second and third places.

Nursing instructors Delayed Their Trade Union Action

Nursing instructors who threatened to resign from government service and join the private sector delayed their scheduled meeting to discuss on the matter due to the urgent meeting called by the Health minister maithreepala sisena this morning.

Cabinet Meeting Was Held At Outstation For The First Time

The first ever cabinet meeting held outside Colombo was conducted at Kilinochchi district of the Northern Sri Lanka this morning.President Mahinda Rajapaksha and other Cabinet Ministers participated the meeting which held at the former office of the LTTE political wing leader Thamil Selvem which is also known as the LTTE Headquarters.

Director General Of Health Services To Decentralized His Powers

Director General Of Health Services Dr.Ajith Mendis who is the head of the Health Department decided to decentralized the powers vested to him by distributing the powers to 45 directors of the health department and provincial health services directors.Health Minister Maithreepala Sirisena too distributed  his Powers to the provincial health ministers recently.

Director General Of Health Services decided to distribute his powers to the provincial directors to ensure supplying of   better health service to the people.

Nursing Instructors And Principals To Resigned From Government Service

Two hundred seventy two Nursing instructors and Nursing College principals decided to resigned from Government service by tomorrow if the Health Ministry fails to find a speedy solution to their service demand .In a letter sent yesterday  to the Director General of health services Dr.Ajith Mendis by The Government Nursing Instructors Union stated that the instructors are ready to resigned from government service from tomorrow  and join the Private sector nurses training colleges along with the Nursing school principals.

Two hundred fifty three Government Nursing Instructors and Nineteen Nursing school principals are in strike since july 01st demanding to re instate there weakly working shift to 36 hours per weak from the introduced 45 hours a weak shift.

Government To Hold First Cabinet Meeting At Kilinochchi

Government make all the arrangements to hold their first ever Cabinet meeting out side of  capitol Colombo at Kilinochchi in the Northern Part of Sri Lanka tomorrow.The Cabinet which is the first one to be held in North is scheduled to be held at  the house of the slain ed LTTE Leader Thamil selvem at 10 a.m in the morning.

Cabinet members are due to arrive Kilinochchi tomorrow morning to participate for the meeting..

President And Opposition Leader Hold Talks On Constitutional Reforms

President Mahinda Rajapaksha and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe continuing there discussion on the proposed Constitutional Reforms for the second day today and agreed to discuss further on abolishing the Executive Presidency and replace it with an executive prime minister responsible for the Parliament.Today both leaders along with the senior party members discussed on changing of the present proportional representation electoral voting system and decided to work to implement a new electoral voting system based on the present one and the old one.

Addressing the media after the discussions held at Temple Trees the opposition leader Ranil Wickramsinha said that the views also exchanged on implementing the independent commissions.

Nursing Instructors To Resigned From Government Training Schools If?

Nursing Instructors who are involved in continuous strike these days warned the health authorities today that they will resigned from the Government Nurses training collages and joined Private Nurses training collages if the authorities further  keep blind eye on their demand.Around 253 Nursing Instructors launched a strike on 01st of July demanding to re instate their over time period which was amended through a public circular on the year 2009.

Dengue Patients Are In Rise

One thousand seventy three Dengue patients were reported during the weak between 02nd of July to 09th of July and Four patients were died according to the Sri Lankan Epidemiology Unit.With this number around 19,828 dengue patients reported during this year and there were 140 dengue deaths.

 Meanwhile Ministry of Health last weak decided to activate the Act on preventing breading mosquitoes with the help of Ministry of Defense as the number of Dengue patients reporting are in increase.

National Hospital Minor Staff Strike Crippled Hospital Services

Minor Staff of the Colombo National Hospital launched four hour strike this morning as a protest against the transferring of a union leader to another hospital leaving hospital work including clinic and surgeries to standstill.The four hour strike launched around 8 a.m ended at 12 noon after the acting Health Ministry secretary Dr.P.Mahipala canceled the transfer of the Union leader T.Somaratna according to the National Hospital sources.

Minister Weerawansha Ended His Fast After President Intervened

Housing and construction minister Wimal Weerawansha who launched an indefinite fast to death campaign last Thursday in front of the UN Office in Colombo  ended his fast this evening after president Mahinda Rajapaksha visited him and offered him a glass of water to drink.Fasting Minister drank the water and ended up his fast and afterward s he was taken to the Army Hospital for treatment.

This noon Minister Weerawansha made a special statement for  the media and said that he will not giving up his fast even if President intervenes, till UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon abolished the three member Advisory Panel he appointed to inquire on the alleged war crimes against Sri Lanka.

Before president Rajapaksha visited the fasting  Minister Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksha and several Ministers and Government MP'S visited the fasting minister.

UN Secretary General Again Urged Sri Lankan Government To Bring Back Normalcy At UN Offices

United Nations Secretary general Ban ki moon again urged to Sri Lankan authorities to bring back  the  situation around UN Offices in Colombo to normal  to ensure the continuation of the UN work in Sri Lanka.Sri Lankan Minister of Housing and Construction Wimal Weerawansha is involved in fast to death campaign in front of the UN Office in Colombo since Thursday morning demanding the abolition of the three member advisory panel appointed by the UN secretary look in to the alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.

 How ever the UN secretary Moon said that he appointed the three member advisory panel to advise him on Sri Lanka according to the joint statement signed with the SL Government and it is not a panel to investigate on Sri Lanka according to the UN News .

Budget Passed With Majority Votes

The Budget for the year 2010 was passed today at the Parliament with 68 majority votes.139 MP's including of the  opposition United National Party (UNP) MP Abdul Carder voted in favor of the budget 71 Opposition MP's voted against the Budget.

Fasting Minister Weerawansha Sent His Resignation Letter To The President-President Refused To Accept It

Adding fuel to the ongoing drama in front of the UN Office in Colombo, Minister Wimal Weerawansha who is involved in fast to death campaign since yesterday morning sent a letter to the President Mahinda Rajapaksha indicating his resignation from  the Housing and Construction  portfolio.It has been reported that this letter was sent to the President yesterday and  President today refused to accept the Minister weerawansha's resignation letter.

Minister Weerawansha who is also the leader of the National Freedom Front which is an allied party of the Governing coalition began a fast to death campaign yesterday demanding the abolition of the special three member advisory committee appointed by UN Secretary Bank Ki Moon to inquire in to the alleged war crimes leveled against the Sri Lankan Government.Addressing to the media on his campaign Minister weerawansha said he will continue his campaign till abolishing of the above panel and requested from the public and from his fellow cabinet members to join with him.

Meanwhile UN officials in New York says that they are monitoring the situation at the UN Office in Colombo closely.However UN Secretary Moon yesterday shut down the United Nations Development Program me (UNDP) Office in Colombo and recalled it's director and UN Residential Representative here Mr.Niel Buhne to New York.

UN Secretary General Moon Shut Down The UNDP Office In Colombo

As the Cabinet Minster Wimal Weerawansha is involved in fast to death campaign in front of the United Nations Office at Colombo UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon today decided to shut down the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Office in Colombo and recalled the head of the mission Mr.Niel Buhne to New York.UN Secretary General Decided to shut down the UNDP Office in colombo due to the government's handling of the security of the UN Office in Colombo it has been announced.

Cabinet Minister Wimal Weerawansha Began A Fast Un to Death Campaign In Front Of UN Office

Cabinet Minister of Housing and the leader of the Allied party of the Government coalition the National Freedom Front(NFF) Wimal Weerawansha began a fast to death campaign in front of the United Nations Office in Colombo this morning demanding  abolishing of  the three member Advisory Panal appointed by the UN Secretary general Ban Ki Moon on an alleged war crimes against the Sri Lankan Government.

 Minister Weerawansha who was with some other leaders of his party marched towards UN office yesterday morning  and hold a protest in front of the UN Office  blocking  the gate of the office began his fast this morning after taking blessings from the Buddhist Bhikkus  present at the occasion.Just minutes before he began his fast three other leaders of the National Freedom Front who were in fast since yesterday broken their fast to pave the way for mr.weerawansha to begin his fast to death campaign.

Several Opposition parties including the main opposition the United National Party(UNP) and the Democratic Peoples Alliance led by former army commander General Sarath Fonseka criticized the fast campaign of the Minister stated it as an unnecessary act of conduct.

Government Hosptal Nurses To Launch a Indefinitive strike

Government hospital nurses decided to go on island wide in-definitive  strike in  16th of  August this year over 11 of their demands.According to the ,Government Nurses began a protesting campaign on wearing a black band in their hands to protest against Health Minister's failure to implement their demands.
 

Medical Experts Seeking The Support From Relatives Of Brain Death People On Donating Organs

Medical specialists appealed to the relatives of the Brain death persons to give permission to get kidneys from these patients for those who need a kidney transplants adding that it will be a benefit for those needy.In Kandy teaching hospital two kidneys taken from a brain death patient were successfully transplanted to two patients during last week hospital authorities said.



A liver was taken from the same brain death patient to perform sri lanka's first Liver transplant surgery performed during last week at the Colombo,National Hospital.

Nursing Instructors Strike Affected Nurses Training Schools

Two Hundred Fifty three Nursing Instructors attached to 18 Nurses Training Schools island wide began a continuous Strike on last Thursday protesting against the Health Ministry's Decision   to restrict their Over Time Period.Due to the strike all nursing schools faced a possible closure as the Nursing Instructors withdrawn from lecturing Nursing Pupils .

According to the Nursing Instructors Union Some Five Hundred  Nursing students are affected due to the strike.Meanwhile Ministry of Health invited the officials of the Nursing Instructors Union to discuss on the issue on Monday.

Sri Lanka's First Ever Liver Transplant Surgery Performed At A Govt.Hospital

A Group of 15  Doctors led by Professor Mandika Wijerathna successfully performed the Sri lanka's first ever  liver transplant surgery at the Colombo National Hospital on last Monday .The liver which was transplanted to a liver failure victim was taken from a brain death person who was received  the treatment at the intensive care unit of the same hospital.The liver was taken from the brain death person with the permission of his relatives according to the Director of the National Hospital Dr.Hector Weerasinha.

A patient have to pay Rs.5 million to six million  for a liver transplant surgery perform in U.K and Singapore.

The liver transplant surgery at Colombo national hospital  took 10 hours to complete and the patient who was transplanted the liver is now receiving treatment at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital according to Dr.Weerasinha.National Hospital authorities plan to continue  liver transplant surgeries at the hospital he stressed.