A Sum Of Rs.5 Billion Allocated For Local Purchasing Of Drugs This Year

The amount of money allocated for local purchasing of  emergency drugs and surgical requirements   of Government Hospitals have increased by Rs.4 billion this year a clearly  wastage of money claims the president of Health Services Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA) Saman Ratnapriya.According to him every year usually a sum of Rs.1 billion allocated for local purchasing of drugs and surgical s in  Government Hospitals ,but this year a sum of Rs.5 billion allocated for this purpose.

A large scale of Fraud activities have been take place when local purchasing of drugs in government hospitals he stressed.Therefore the Ministry Of Health should have maintain a list of Essential Drugs and Surgical s need to import every year and should import them through a proper tender procedure to avoid fraud activities president of HSTUA further added.

14,000 Graded Medical Officers To Deprive Their Communication Allowance From This July

The Government has decided to stop paying the monthly communication allowance to 14,000 graded medical officers which has paid to all government  medical officers including them with effect from next month (July) citing that they are not entitled for this allowance it has been revealed.The communication allowance which has paid monthly to all medical officers ranging up to Rs.6000 since last year is now said to be entitled only to executive graded medical officers  according to Ministry Of Finance .

As per a letter sent to Ministry Of Health by the Treasury dated 14-06-2012 has stated to stop paying above communication allowance to all graded medical officers who are now excluded from executive grade.However 16,200 Medical Officers including these graded medical officers attached to government hospitals island wide were paid this allowance since last May by allocating a large sum of money annually .

Out of 16.200 Medical Officers in the country around 14,000 are graded medical officers and the rest compromised with 1000 Grade 1 medical officers,1000 medical specialists and 200 medical administrators .Before issuing 2006/2007 Salary Circular all these medical officers belongs to executive grade but after implementing the above circular only grade 1 medical officers,medical specialists and medical administrators are belongs to executive grade and other mo's are excluded from that category. The Ministry Of Health had mistakenly categorized  those graded medical officers as executive grade medical officers even after implementing 2006/2007 salary circular treasury has said.Due to this situation graded medical officers too were paid communication allowance from may last year up to this month it has been stated.

Therefor Treasury has instructed Health Ministry Secretary Dr.Ravindra Ruberu to issue a new circular stating only executive grade medical officers will entitled for monthly communication allowance paid to cover their telephone bills.

Meanwhile after revealing this new decision to cutting off  communication allowance of graded medical officers those medical officers are said to be unhappy over this decision and now holding meetings in hospital basis to decide their future action over this issue.

Unemployed PSM Graduates Accused GMOA For Blocking Their Employment In Govt.Hospitals

The unemployed Graduates Union of Professions supplementary to medicine(PSM) had accused that Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has influenced the health ministry to not to recruit PSM Graduates to government hospitals .Due to this some 270 unemployed PSM Graduates are now working in private sector as part time employees the union stressed.

As government spent a huge sum of money to provide university education for these graduates it is duty of the health ministry to employ them in government hospitals unemployed psm graduates said.Meanwhile the unemployed psm graduates union has planned to stage demonstration campaigns in front of government hospitals from next month by demanding recruiting these unemployed graduates to government hospitals with immediate effect.

Urine Catheters Are Out Of Stock In Government Hospitals

Urine Catheters which are essential for Critically ill patients,patients who are undergoing surgeries,pregnant mothers and dengue patients are out of stock in all government hospitals these days island wide according to hospital sources.These catheters from all sizes which are using for above patients to pass urine are not available in medical supply division as well the sources said.

Due to the shortage the relatives of patients have to buy urine catheters from private pharmacies and most of the patients are not affordable to buying these as one catheter  costs around Rs.250 to Rs.1000 it has been revealed.A patient  needs two or three of these catheters per day the sources  said.

Swiss Authorities To Sent Home 2000 Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers

The Swiss Immigration and Emigration officials have decided to repatriate around 2000 Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers living  in Switzerland western media reports have revealed.This decision was taken on last Friday after considering the peaceful environment prevails in Sri Lanka following the end of  civil war against LTTE media reports said.

The decision on repatriation of Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers was taken in 2010 but implementing  it got delayed due to influence of Human Rights Activists .Swiss Authorities have already informed the decision to Sri Lankan Asylum Seekers in writing.

National Dengue Month To Be Launched Tomorrow(25)

The first ever National Dengue Control Month of Sri Lanka declared by Presidential Task Force On Dengue Control last week will be implemented  from tomorrow (25).This month will last till 25th of July and during this period of time dengue control activities scheduled to be launched island wide in collaboration with Local Government Councils and institutions health authorities said.

Dengue Mosquito Breading Places found in Medical Research Institue

During the inspection of State owned Ministries and Institutions to check whether they are having dengue breeding places officials have found to day (22)a large number of mosquito larvae believed to be Dengue Mosquito Larvae from Medical Research Institute(MRI) premises in Colombo and nearby Chest Clinic Health Sources have revealed.These mosquito larvae were found from plastic containers left inside some of the buildings of MRI and Chest Clinic it has been revealed.

As medical research institute is one of the institutes that co coordinating dengue control activities in government institutions they should be exemplary to other institutions health sources stressed.The mosquito larvae found today are currently testing at MRI to find out whether the larvae  are dengue larvae  or not  sources said.