Daily Bread Consumption Dropped While Rice Consumption Increased-Deputy Health Minister

Deputy Health Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said today that the daily consumption of Bread in the Country dropped by one million due to the recent price hike of the loaf of bread and at the same time daily consumption of Rice  increased by five hundrad Thousand Killos.Deputy Minister has said that this a good trend since the consumption of Bread caused health problems.

However the price of Paddy is little high these days he also stressed.Deputy Health Minister made these remarks during a media seminar held at the Health Education Bureau in Colombo today on "Osteoporosis".

One Fourth Of The Sri Lankan Female Population Suffering From Osteoporosis

500,000 Females in Sri Lanka out of the 2 Million Female Population in the Country are suffering from Osteoporosis according to the Nutritionist Dr.Renuka Jayathissa.Dr.Jayathissa has said that according to the statistics one fourth of the local Female Population and 30 percent of the Country's Male Population suffering from Osteoporosis which is known as the Bone breaking Disease.

Addressing a Media Seminar today at the Health Education Bureau in Colombo Dr,Jayathissa has said that the people in the age group of 60-70 are more prone to the Disease.The main cause of the Disease is Calcium Deficiancy and due to the reducing the Calcium level in the Bones by 30 to 40 percent the Bones including the hip fractured after a sudden fall she said .Osteoposrosis is a disease which not show any pre symptoms and the patient only find out he or she have the disease after a bone fracture occured due to a fall she stressed.

One of the leading Rheumatology Specialists in the Country Dr.Lalith Wijeratna said that the all who are above the age  55 should go to a Doctor to check their Bone Mass Index and find out is there any risk of gettong the disease.

Government Doctors Wants Rs.200,000 Monthly Salary

Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) has requested the National Salary Commission to make the monthly salary of a Government Doctor as Rs.200,000 from the next budget.According to the GMOA there are lapses in the present Salary Structures between the lower grade and the Highest Grade employees and the ratio of these Salary structures stands as   One to four.

Due to this the salary of the Minor Staff Employee in the Health Sector is Rs.11,700 and the Salary of a Government Doctor is Rs.26,000 and a specialist Doctor is Rs,42,000 GMOA stressed.If the government is not taking  any action to solve this Salary issue there is a possibility that the  Government Doctors who are working in the Rural Areas to resign from Government Service and join the Private sector as well as Going Abroad the Association warned.

Due to the present Salary Structure there is a problem to exceed the Monthly Salary of the Highest Officer in the Health Ministry the Health Secretary beyond Rs.47,515 Association said.

In viewing this situation  GMOA said that the monthly salary of a Government Doctor should be Rs.200,000 and pointed out that the Highest Grade officer  in the Private Sector in Sri Lanka drawing a monthly salary of Rs.5 to 10 million while the lower grade Employee is drawing Rs.7000  and the ratio between the lower and higher grades in the Private Sector is More than one to one thousand.

All Nurses Of The Kurunagala Hospital To Stage One Hour Walk Out In Wednesday

All nurses attached to the Kurunagala Teaching Hospital in North Western Province are decided to stage an one hour walkout between 10.30 a.m to 11.30 a.m in this Wednesday(13) to protest against the decision taken by the Kurunagala Hospitlal Authorities to  withdraw Male Nursing Students who are training at the Hospital  from Maternity Training All Ceylon Nurses Union has announced today.

General Fonseka Said He Will Not Seeking A Pardon From Hooligans

Imprisoned former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka has said today that he will not seeking pardon from Hooligans even he is senenced to a life  Imprisonment or have to die in Jail.He made these remarks to the media personnal and the people who gathered around him when he was brought to the High Court in Colombo this morning to appear the  "white flag "case filed against him.

150,000 Sri Lankans Are Living With Blindness

Out of Sri Lanka's  Twenty Million Population ,One hundrad Fifty Thousand people(150,000) are living  with Blindness according to the Health Ministry.Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr P.G Mahipala said today that major cause of this Blindness is due to Cataract.If the people who are having somekind of Eye Disorder go to a Opthamalogist(Eye Specialist) in  early stages and getting treatment this kind of Blindness can be preventable he stressed.

Speeking at the Seminar Organized by the Health Education Bureau in Colombo today  Dr.Mahipala said that among the Sri Lanka's blind People 100,000 are Blind due to Cataract ,6000 due to Diabetese and 15,000 are due to  Glucoma.Out of these Blind People 80 percent can be curable.Other then Cataract other main causes that can leed to Blindness are Glucoma,Cataract  and Childhood Blindness according to the Opthamalogists.

According to them there are 400,000 Sri Lankans  who are having low vision and 160,000 School Children who are suffering with some kind of Eye Disorder.World Sight Day falls on    14th of October and the Ministry of Health has  launched a programme called Vision 2020
with the aim of preventing Blindness among Sri Lankans by the year 2020.                                                                                                                   

Elections Commisoner Received The Repalcement For General Fonseka's Vaccant Seat

Colombo Elections Officer sent the name of Lakshman Nipunaarachci to the Elections Commissioner to repalce General Fonseka who lost his seat yesterday it has been revealed.Elections Commisioner also received a request to gazette the repalced persons name.Nipunaarachchi received next highest preferential votes from the Democratic National Alliance(DNA)after General Fonseka at the last Parliamentary Elections.