Token Strike Of Paramedics Paralyzed The Government Hospital Services

Due to an Island Wide token strike launched by the Professionals Supplementary to Medicine(PSM) attached to Government Hospitals today demanding to fulfill five of their service demands,had  paralyzed the issuing of medicines through the out door patient departments,Laboratory Tests,Radiography Tests and Physio Therapy and Occupational Therapies in the Hospitals.

Only emergency services are maintaining  during the 24 hour strike which scheduled to end 8 a.m tomorrow morning according to the PSM Professionals.

However the Major Hospitals including  the National Hospital in Colombo issued special tokens to the Patients who came to get the medicine from OPD pharmacies of hospitals which enable them to purchase drugs free of charge through the State Owned Pharmacies.Same Hospitals have send patients who need emergency Lab Tests,Radiography Tests to the Private Hospitals for these tests according to the officials.

The Professionals Supplementary To Medicine(PSM) compromising Government Pharmacists,Medical Laboratory Technicians(MLT),Radiographers,Physiotherapists and occupational Therapists launched the token strike this morning at 8 a.m demanding to fulfill five demands including  implementation of the delayed promotions of the special grade and first grade of their  professionals .If the Health Ministry has  not taken steps to fulfill their demands immediately the PSM has decided to launch an Island wide continuous strike from 23rd of February till their demands are fulfilled the secretary of the Association of Professionals Supplementary To Medicine Harendra Kuruppu has said.

A False Alarm Of A British Passenger On A Bomb Threat In Sri Lankan Air Line Flight To London Proved As Hoax

A Bomb threat received by the Sri Lankan Air Lines Air Bus 340 which bounded to London U.K found as a  Hoax after checked the Air Bus  which got landed to Male International Air Port this evening,Soon after the Air Bus got landed to Male International Air Port in Maldives  a British Passenger name Clement Paul  who boarded the Plane started alarming fellow passengers that a bomb was on board the Flight.

After searching the flight it proved that the Bomb Threat was a hoax and afterward the Air Bus left to London, Sri Lankan Air Lines Has announced.The Maldives National Defense Force was evacuated the Passengers boarded in Sri Lankan Flight for a search in Male and when it proved the alarm is hoax the British Passenger who was responsible for the act  was apprehended by the Authorities in Male.

After the search the 199 Passenger Air Bus which is flying Colombo to London via Male left for London.

400,000 Plastic Containers To Minimize The Wastage Of Fruits And Vegetables During Transportation

To minimize the wastage of fruits and vegetables during their transportation  the Internal Trade Ministry has  today began distributing of 400,000 Plastic Containers for traders to Pack Fruits and Vegetables when transporting.

According to the Ministry Of Cooperatives and Internal Trade Johnston Fernando using of Plastic Containers to transport Fruits and Vegetables is made a  compulsory with effect from 01st of March this year.These Plastic Containers are bought from the Government and will distribute for the relevant groups through the economic centers Minister further said.

The First Indian Private Ferry Sailing Towards Sri Lanka

Although Some Local officials claimed  that the Indian Media Reports on re commencing of Indo- Sri Lanka Private Ferry during last week is not true it has been reported that the Ferry "MSV Raj TTN 241" carrying 250 tonnes of Food items had left from the old Port of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu by early hours yesterday and  heading towards Sri Lanka .

The ferry with a 10 crew members is scheduled  to arrive Colombo Port  today according to the sources.According to the Coastal Sail Vessels Owners Association the Ferry would be operated weekly basis and it will expand four tours per week based on the volume of the business.

1068 Dengue Patients Were Reported Throughout The Island This Year-11 Deaths Reported

According to the Epidemiology Unit 1068 Dengue Patients were reported throughout the Island during 01st of January and 10th of February this year and there were 11 Deaths.Majority of the patients were reported from Colombo District(383) followed by Gampaha.Puttalam and  Jaffna Districts.

One child was died due to dengue in the Colombo Municipal Area last week and around 49 patients were reported in first 10 days of February according to the Chief Medical Officer in Colombo municipal area Dr.Pradeep Kariyawasam. 

The Epidemiologists requesting the public to be an alert on the Dengue situation as the epidemic is spreading most parts of the Country and keeping their houses and gardens clean without Dengue Mosquito Breeding Places.

Internal Trade Ministry Found 12,000 KG Of Rice Stock In Colombo Hidden By Traders

The Officers of the Cooperatives  and  Internal Trade Ministry had  found a 12,000 Kilo Grammes of  Rice Stock hidden by the Private Traders at stores in Fourth Cross Street of Pettah,Colombo today during a raid carried out there.According to the Ministry this is the largest stock of hidden Rice found during the raids so far and a legal action will be taken against the traders hidden  this Rice Stock.

Government has already directed  the  Criminal Investigations Department(CID) to carried out search operations to find out the Rice Stocks hidden by the Private Traders in order to stabilizing the Prices of Rice in the Local Market.The Prices of Varieties of Rice in the Market including of popular varieties like  Samba,and Kakulu Rice reported as goes up even the Government has announced a Control Prices for each variety.

As large number of paddy fields destroyed in the North Central Province during the heavy showers and floods occurred in the Province last month and the paddy harvest in the Coming season too not expected as high as previously estimated according to the government sources.Therefore  the Internal Trade Ministry has decided to issue stored Rice stocks at the Government Stores  to the market few days ago to prevent a possible  rice shortage

The Cooperatives and Internal Trade Ministry had already carried out 210 raids during past few days within the local Market to find hidden stocks of rice it has been reported.

Dep.Minister Of Ports Clarifying Indian Media Reports By Saying The Indo-Sri Lanka Private Ferry Service Will Commence In March

Deputy Minister of Ports and Aviation Rohitha Bogollagama has said that although the Indian Media announced that the Private Ferry service between Sri Lanka and India will re commence today(11) it scheduled to be commence in second week of March this year.

The Private Ferry Service between the two countries suspended  two years ago due to the war situation here.It will operate between Tuticorin-India and Colombo-Sri Lanka.