Government Declared Hajj Festival Day As A Public Holiday

The Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs has today declared the Muslim Religious Festival Hajj Festival (Eid -Al Adha) Day falls on 07th of November (Monday) as a Public Holiday.Earlier that day was not considered as a Holiday.

GMOA Urged The Health Ministry To Conduct An Inquiry Against The 70 RAMP's Who Produced Bogus Medical Certificattes

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has urged the Health Ministry to conduct an inquiry on the 70 Registered and Assistant Medical Officers who were produced false Medical Degree Certificattes to the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) stating that they have studied at Saint Petersburg State Medical Collage in Russia .

Although the said Medical Officers are stating they have been studied at the said Russian Medical Collage they have never been in Russsia for the period they were obtained study leave with full pay instead of doing Private Practice here the Assistant Secretary of the GMOA Dr.Upul Gunesekera has said.According to him if those Registered and Assistant Medical Officers followed that Medical Degree fully and qualified they have been practising with other MBBS Doctors here as a qualified medical paractitioners.

However these officers not only misled the SLMC but tried to mislead the Court too he stressed.According to the judgment given by the present Chief Justice Mrs.Shirani Bandaranayake in 2006 these Medcial Officers should not granted the SLMC Registration to practice as doctors here Dr.Gunesekera added.

Health Secretary And SLMC President Says Malabe Private Medical College Is An Illegal Institute

Both the Health Ministry Secretary and President of Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) informed the Private Hospital owners today that the Private Medical College based in Malabe is an Illegal Institution according to the Assistant Secretary of Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) Dr.Upul Gunesekera.

He stressed that when the Health Secretary met with Six Private Hospital owners today(31) at the Health Ministry he told that the Malabe Private Medical College is an Illegal Institution which has not yet been recognized.

Meanwhile the Medical Students attached to the six Medical Faculties in the Country hold a protest campaign in front of the Nawaloka Hospital this morning when  a news broke out on the Clinical Training is to be offered to a batch of students attached to Malabe Pvrivate Medical Collage through the said hospital from today(31).However the Nawaloka Hospital Authorities have said that their Hospital only assisting those students  to follow an orientation course not for the Clinical Training.

Ceylon Petroleum Increased The Prices Of Petrol,Diesel And Kerosene

The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has increased the Prices of Petrol,Diesel and Kerosene with the effect from midnight tonight.According to the new price increase a liter of Petrol is increase by Rs.12,Liter of Diesel by Rs.8 and a Liter of Kerosene by Rs.10.

10.9 Per 1000 Married Women In Reproductive Age Undergo Abortions In Sri Lanka?

It has been revealed that 10.9 per 1000 Married Women in Sri Lanka who are in reproductive age are under going  abortions due to various reasons Dr.Deepthi Perera the Director of Family Health Bureau has said yesterday(27). Alll these abortions are illegal ones as the Abortions are not legalized in the counrtry according to Dr.Perera.

As a result of these illeagal abortions so may complications have occurred in these women and some of those underwent abortions are ended up with Hospitalization.Also according to the Family Health Bureau survey around 7 % of the teanagers in the country are getting pregnant and this also leeds to the increasing number of illeagal abortions performed in Sri Lanka.

These facts have been revealed during a Population Symposium held yesterday at Galle Face Hotel In Colombo coincides with the launching of the State Population Report of 2011 by the United Nations Population Fund(UNFA).

Public Services Nurses Union Has Urged The Health Ministry To Extend The Retirement Age Of Nurses

The Public Services Nurses Union (PSNU) has made a written request to the Ministry Of Health to extend the retiring age of Nurses to 63 years and to recruit the retired government nurses to  hospitals as a solution for the nurses shortage faced by government hospitals.

The President of the PSNU Ven.Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero has said as more and more new wards and new units including theaters and intensive care units attached to government hospitals are open there's only 25,000 nurses are available to cater the needs of patient care in the hospitals while the hospitals needed around 45,000 Nurses to fill the shortage.

Due to the severe Nurses Shortage in the Country Nurses attached to the special units like Theaters and Intensive Care Units need to work  12 to 18  hours per day and as a result  not able to cater their personal needs Muruthettuwe Thero has stressed."If the Ministry Of Health is not accepting the Nurses Unions proposals on  filling  the shortage of nurses the Union will refused to recruit the current batch of nurses to any of the newly built government hospital units he has revealed.

The next batch of trained nurses are due to passed out in the year 2014 and at least till then the Health Ministry should have implemented the Nurses Union 's proposals the President of the Union has stressed.

Hambantota And Colombo/Northern Province Identified As The Areas Having Highest And Lowest Life Expectancy Rates

Hambantota District (in Southern Province) has identified as the Area having highest rate of life expectancy in Sri Lanka while Colombo District and Northern Province are having the lowest life expectancy rate according to the newest statistics issued by the United Nations Fund For Population Activities(UNFPA).

UNFPA has stated that the life expectancy rate of Hambantota is 79.6 years and the life expectancy rates of Colombo District and Northern Province is 66.9 years.Sri Lanka also rated as a country which having highest growth rate of Adult Population amongst the developing countries where the population compromised only 26 % of youth.

As Sri Lankan population is now over 20 million ,10 % of the population compromised with adults according to the latest statistics available.The Additional Secretary of the Ministry Of Health Dr.Palitha Mahipala has said that this percentage of adult population is expected to stand as 20 % by the year 2025.

With the increase of adult population chllanges like Caring the elderly,Providing Social and Financial Security ,Health Care problems will arise and the Government has already implemented new schemes to meet these challanges he stressed.

These facts revealed during a Media Seminar held today (25) at the Health Education Bureau Auditorium under the theme "The Social Challanges faced after the Global Population reached 7 Billion by 31st of October this year"