Private And SLTB Bus Fares To Be Increased From Tomorrow(01)

The Private and government owned Sri Lanka Transport Board Bus fares are to be increased by 7% with effect from tomorrow(01) the National Transport Commission (NTC) has said.the southern express highway bus fares from Maharagama to Galle too will be increased by Rs.30 from Rs.470 to Rs.500 the commission has revealed.

The Private Bus Owners Unions have accepted the increased bus fare which was announced on 12th of October however stressed the need to increase fare by 12% to cover their losses.the Sri Lanka Private Bus Owners Association has announced that their union will go to courts against Minister of Private Transport Services C.B Ratnayake and Chairman of National Transport Commission for ruining the private bus industry.

Health Ministry Has Not Use Their Powers To Avoid Delays Of PSC-PSNU President

Although the Health Ministry has powers to avoid delays of Public Services Commission(PSC) in getting approval for service constitutions and other reports related to health professionals, ministry has still not been able to avoid those delays of PSC the president of Public Services Nurses Union(PSNU) Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero has said.

If the Health Ministry authorities have used the powers vested with them to avoid delays of PSC  most trade union actions in the health sector could have been averted  venerable thero has stressed.

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) is the latest Trade Union which has decided to launch a trade union action protesting against PSC's delay to approve their service constitution.

Around 30% Who Got sexually Abused During Childhood Abuse Their Own Children-National Child Protection Authority Chairman

Around 30% of those who were sexually abused during their childhood  are later abuse their own children according to president of National Child Protection Authority Mrs.Anoma Dissanayake.due to this situation parents should take care of their children and give them love and protection during their childhood to avoid such situation Mrs.Dissanayake has said.

Addressing a Media Seminar On "Conquering the future challenges for children " held in Health Education Bureau,Colombo today(29) Mrs.Dissanayake has said that according to a survey done in USA 14% of all male prisoners and 36% of all female prisoners have abused their children either physically or mentally due to their own experiences in childhood .

Government Hospital Doctors To Launch An Island Wide Continuous Strike From Next Monday(04)

The Government Hospital Doctors have decided to launch an island wide continuous strike from Next Monday(04) by demanding health authorities to implement their service constitution according to the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA).the executive committee of the GMOA which meet today (28) has unanimously decided to launch the continuous strike the media spokesman of GMOA Dr.Naveen Soyza has said.

Addressing a press briefing held in Colombo this noon Dr.Soyza has revealed that the service constitution of government doctors has been struck ed in Public Services Commission (PSC) since two years time after it has sent there to get an approval.due to this situation the  grade one promotions of  Government Medical Officers are getting delayed further as a Medical Officer now has to await around 18 years to getting promoted to the grade one instead of 10 years which is the scheduled time frame he has stressed.

Due to this situation government doctors have no other option than going for a strike GMOA Media Spokesman has said.around 16,000 government doctors scheduled  to be joined this island wide strike according to the GMOA.

Road Development Authority Has Earned Rs.3 Million From Vehicles Used Colombo -Katunayake Express Highway

Since the Colombo-Katunayake Express Highway was opened for Public  since yesterday(27)evening  the Road Development Authority (RDA) has earned around Rs.3 million from over  11,000 vehicles  that used the highway during 6 p.m Yesterday(27) to 7 A.M today(28) the sources said.

Around 3000 vehicles have been used the highway within first hour after it was opened for the public the sources have added.

Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB)has deployed 13 Luxury Buses in the newly built highway since this morning and it will operate daily from Colombo and Negambo .the number of luxury buses deploy in the highway will be increased in future according to the SLTB.these buses will operate from every 15 minutes during the day it has been revealed.

Coconut Development Minister Says He Cannot Control The Prices Of Coconuts

The Coconut Development and Estate Development Minister Jagath Pushpakumara has said that he cannot control the escalating price of Coconuts in the market and it's in the hands of the vendor .

 Due to the  dry weather prevailed   in  the country last year  the local coconut production has drastically dropped and it caused the higher prices of Coconuts at present  the minister has revealed.however the coconut prices have dropped from Rs.50 to Rs.41 during 10th of October he has said.although can control  the coconut prices when the price is between Rs.33-35 cannot control when it increases to Rs.50 or 55 minister has further said.

Meanwhile the price of coconuts are in  increase again according to market sources.

Colombo-Katunayake Express Highway Was Inaugurated

The second express highway in Sri Lanka , Colombo-Katunayake Express Highway was inaugurated by President Mahinda Rajapaksha this morning with the presence of large number of local and foreign dignitaries and local crowd.the Highway was built by spending US Dollars 350 Million and it was opened to the public since 6 p.m this evening.

New Colombo -Katunayake Express High Way Is To be Opned Tomorrow

The 25.8 Kilo Meters Long newly built Colombo-Katunayake Express Highway is scheduled to be opened tomorrow(27) morning  by President Mahinda Rajapaksha.The Sri  Lanka's second e class Highway will link Colombo City with Katunayake Bandaranaike International Air Port.

The speed limit of Colombo-Katunayake Highway is 80 Kilo Meters per hour(50 Miles Per Hour) for the first eight kilo meters and110 kilo meters per hour(68 Kilo Meters per hour) for the rest of the road.the new express highway is having 42 bridges and 88 culverts.through using express highway it is expected to reduce the one or two hour travel to 20 minutes.

The First e class Expressway the Southern Express Highway has inaugurated recently and the third express highway ,northern express highway is under construction. meanwhile Sri Lanka Transport Board has planned to deploy 12 luxury buses on the  Colombo-Katunayake Express Highway.meanwhile the Ministry Of Highways has announced the toll prices for vehicles using Colombo -Katunayake express highway.under this Rs.300 will be charged from Cars,Jeeps and small vans using the express highway from palyiagoda to Katunayke  while Rs.600 will be charged from lorries and Buses.

Tamil National Alliance(TNA) To Boycott Commonwealth Summit

The Tamil National Alliance(TNA) has decided to boycott the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting(CHOGM) scheduled to be held in Colombo from 15th to 17th of November according to party sources.this decision has been reached during a party meeting held yesterday (25)evening in Jaffna under the patronage of TNA Leader Parliamentarian R.Sambandan.

Although the party avoid on participating the Commonwealth Meeting it has decided to handover the heads of states who are  participating the event a written letter on human rights violations happening in the country sources have added.

The Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting is scheduled to be held at The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo next month and several leaders including British,Australian and New Zealand prime ministers have already confirmed that they are participating the event while Canadian Prime Minister has announced he will not participate the event.

Meanwhile the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has still not confirmed on his participation to the meeting due to the request  of Tamil Nadu State Government lead by the Chief Minister Jayalaitha   to boycott the  event.Prince Charles the son of the Queen Elizabeth scheduled to  be participated the event representing her due to the poor health of the queen who is also the head of the Commonwealth Group .

120,000 Sri Lankans Hospitalized Annually Due To Poisoning

Around 120,000 Sri Lankans have been hospitalized annually and out of them 1000-1500 have died due to poisoning Ministry Of Health has revealed.out of the total number of people getting hospitalized due to poisoning 55,000-60,000 have been poisoned due to insecticides and pesticides and 20,000 due to drug and other poisoning ministry has said.

Annually around 40,000-45,000 Sri Lankans are getting sick due to snake bites and 100 people have died due to the poisoning of snake bites.

In the view of to  educate as well as to making awareness among people on poisoning and the toxic substances which lead to poisoning Ministry Of Health with the help of National Poisoning Center in Colombo National Hospital have declared a National Week On preventing Poisoning from 28th of October to 03rd of November.an educational programmes and seminars to make aware people on poisoning are scheduled to be held during this week.

Have Five Pharmacists Attached To Cancer Hospital Received Work Suspension Orders As Stated By Health Ministry ?

Five Pharmacists attached to Maharagama ,Cancer Hospital have temporarily been  suspended from their work due to their involvement in selling an expensive Cancer Injection vials "Oncasper " prescribed for Child Leukemia Patients received by the hospital to  Drug Company that supplied those vials Health Ministry has announced today(24)according to the ministry statement issued regarding this the five pharmacists have temporarily been suspended from their work until the inquiry regarding the incident is concluded.

The Drug Company involved in the scam with Pharmacists too black listed according to the Ministry.the five Pharmacists who were punished have alleged as illegally sold   "Oncasper" injection vials to  drug company which has supplied those vials to the Cancer Hospital and the Company it self again sold that to the hospital Health Ministry has revealed.Health Authorities have spent Rs.237,000 to buy one vial of the said Cancer Injection ministry has said.

However when contacted the Cancer Hospital Authorities have said that no Pharmacist attached to Cancer Hospital has received either any charge sheet or an order regarding the work suspension.

Customs Officials Have Destroyed Rs.30 Million Worth Contraceptive Injection Vials Brought To The Country Illegally

The Sri Lankan Customs Officials have today(23) destroyed 30,000 bottles of Depo Provera Contraceptive  Injection Vials worth Rs.30 million which were brought to the country illegally by a Pakistan National according to Customs Sources.the destruction took place at container yard in Orugodawatta (Colombo Suburbs).

The destroyed stock of Injection vials were found by Customs recently when they were stored inside  a container which contained Potatoes .the Paksitani National who was responsible for bringing  these Injection Vials illegally to Sri Lanka got arrested by Customs Officers when he came to release the container .

After finishing initial inquiries the suspected Pakistani National who brought those injection vials was fined Rs.500,000 by customs and moved him to the courts for further action.

A Special Plan To Dispose Electronic Waste From Government Hospitals

A Special Plan to safely  Disposing  Waste of Electronic Devices Used by Government Hospitals will be implemented Next Monday(28) from Colombo National Hospital according to Director General Of Health Services Dr.Palitha Mahipala.as Electronic Waste known as harmful to human health as well as the  environment it should be disposed in special way dr.Mahipala has said.

Addressing a Media Seminar held today(23) at Health Education Bureau in Colombo he has further said that due to the disposing of electronic waste to the environment in unsafe manner people will be exposed to   respiratory diseases like Asthma ,genetic deformities,Cancers, and Kidney Diseases as the plastic compound used when making   Electronic devises contains metals like Lead,Cadmium,Arsenic and Mercury .