Ceylon Electricity Board Workers Launched 24 Hour Strike

Around 15,000 workers attached to Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) launched a 24 hour token strike from midnight today(03) till midnight tomorrow(04) requesting to settle their salary disparities.The Ceylon Electricity Board Joint Trade Union Alliance which organized this token strike warned public that there may be power failures during the strike period.

Around 42 Houses Damaged Last Night Due To Strong Winds

Around 42 houses throughout the island have been damaged last night due to strong winds experienced these days the Disaster Management Center(DMC) has announced today(03). One person died in Awissawella and around 8 houses  had  partially damaged and 1 house completely damaged in Nuwara Eliya District according to DMC.

Amongst other partially damaged houses were 16 Houses in Gampaha District,3 in Bambalapitiya-Colombo and 15 Houses in Kurunagala District.

Meanwhile the Meteorological Department has stated the prevailing strong winds will continue throughout the Island further accompany by occasional showers.

766 Houses And Institutes Maintaining Dengue Breeding Places Were Fined

The Courts have fined a sum of Rs.2,898,000 from 766 Residents and Institute Owners   who are maintaining dengue mosquito breeding places in their back yards during Island Wide raids carried out by Public Health Inspectors last week.The raids were carried out between 25th Of June to 29th of June according to Sri Lanka Public Health Inspectors Union.

During these raids around 133,404 houses and institutes were checked the union further said.

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.