Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Director General Of Health Services Appealed All Media Institutions To Refrain Publishing/Broadcasting Milk Powder Ads

Director General Of Health Services Dr.Palitha Mahipala has today(07) appealed from the local print and electronic media to refrain from publishing and broadcasting  milk powder advertisements until further notice due to the misleading advertisements published by some milk powder companies in present crisis situation.

Director General Of Health Services has said through a press release issued to the media this evening that in a situation that reported an agro chemical Dyciadanamite"(DCD) and bacteria infected whey protein contained in some imported milk products few milk powders advertised not only mislead public it also becomes a threat to food safety in the country .therefor he appealed all heads of the media institutions to cooperate by refrain from publishing and broadcasting milk powder advertisements until further notice.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

GMOA Has Condemned The Health Ministry's Delay On Withdrawing DCD Contaminated Milk Powder

Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) has today(06)again condemned the health ministry's delay on  withdrawing  the stock of imported milk powder which were confirmed as contaminated with agro chemical Dycianadamite (DCD) from local market .the milk by products produced  by those milk powder companies including cheese,yoghurt and ice cream too may have contaminated with DCD and authorities should inquire on that also he said.

Addressing a press briefing held in GMOA Office in Colombo this noon the president of GMOA Dr.Anurudda Padeniya has said that although the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) has confirmed from their research report issued on 26th of July that a four varieties of Milk Powder in local market are contaminated with DCD health authorities still trying to sideline the report behalf of milk powder comapnies.

"Some higher officials in the ministry itself were bribed by these milk powder companies to retain their milk powders in the market" he has stated. the GMOA President has appealed the health minister to take stern action against those who sidelined the ITI Report findings,GMOA has sent a written letter to the minister yesterday(05) by  requesting an impartial inquiry against  those ministry officials.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Over 1000 Unqualified MLT'S Employed In Private Hospitals

More than 1000 unqualified medical laboratory technicians(MLT) have been employed in private hospitals throughout the island according to government medical laboratory technicians association.due to these unqualified MLT's the laboratory tests done through  most of the private hospitals are not in good quality charged Saman Jayasekera a senior MLT working in  Colombo National Hospital.

"Health Ministry should have take action against these unqualified Private Hospital MLT's to ensure the  quality of lab tests performs in the private sector " mr.jayasekera has further said.

Thirty One Teeange Mothers Have Died Due To Complications In 2011-2012 -Dr.Deepthi Perera

Thirty One Teenage Mothers aged between 15-19 have died during 2011-2012 period due to the complications they have during pregnancies according to the Dr. Deepthi Perera the director (Mother and child care) of Family Health Bureau .it has estimated around 21,000 -22,000 teenage pregnancies may have occurred in Sri Lanka annually she has said. 

Out of thirty one teenage mothers died 20 deaths occurred in the year 2011 and 11 deaths in 2012 she has revealed while addressing a media seminar titled  "Preventing Teenage Pregnancies" held in Health Education Bureau today(05)

Due to the unwanted sexual behavior among section of teenagers 28 out of every 1000 teenage girls in the country become pregnant during the ages of 15-19 and this rate is 6.1 % form the total number of pregnancies occurred annually in Sri Lanka.the most number of teenage pregnancies have been reported from eastern province according to dr.perera.

Due to the teenage pregnancies health complications like high blood pressure,anemia and convulsions will occurred and there's a 50% chance of infants born to these mothers to be dead  from birth comparing  to those births of mothers aged between 20-29 according to the doctors.it has been reported around 60% of teenage mothers in the country are from rural families lives with poverty.

Giving good knowledge on reproductive health to the teenage girls under 14 years,giving continuous education for girls and a good relationship between parents and teenage daughters will help to prevent these unwanted teenage pregnancies dr,perera has further said.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Disaster Management Center Has Warned On Rough Seas With Strong Winds In Several Sea Areas

The Disaster Management Center (DMC) has warned that deep and shallow sea areas in from Puttalam to Potuvil via Colombo may be rough and dangerous with strong winds.the winds of those sea areas may increase to 60 -80 kilo meters per hour DMC has stated.

Meanwhile the meteorology  department has said that there will be  showers or thunder showers in sea areas of Puttalam to Hambanthota via  Galle and few other sea areas.

Health Minsitry Still Silence On DCD Contamination In Four Varities Of Imported Milk Powders

Although the  Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA)  has claimed on the contamination of  agro chemical "Dycianadamite"(DCD) in four varieties of imported Milk Powder available in  local market the Health Ministry seems to be keep on sticking to the so called Thailand lab report that said to be clearing those milk powders .both deputy health minister lalith dissasanyake and director general of health services dr.palitha mahipala were said that the the report received by the health ministry  from a laboratory in Thailand has cleared the presence of chemical DCD in imported milk powder available in local market.

However both have declined to comment   on the report issued by Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) that confirming the contamination of DCD Chemical in four varieties of imported milk powder. according to the ITI report issued on 26th of July the DCD chemical was found in four varieties of imported milk powder namely Anchor Full Cream Milk Powder,Anchor One Plus,Diamond Milk Powder and Maliban Non Fat imported from New Zealand and Australia.

Friday, August 2, 2013

GMOA Has Urged Health Ministry To Withdraw Stocks Of Imported Milk Powders In Local Market Contaminated With DCD Chemical

Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has urged the Ministry of Health to withdraw the stocks of four varieties of imported Milk Powder in the local market that contaminated with agro chemical "Dycianadamite"(DCD) and other milk products of those companies with immediate effect as it will become a threat to public health.the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) attach to Ministry of Tecnology,Research has issued a report last week confirming the four varities of said Milk Powders contaminated with DCD Chemical the assistant secretary of GMOA Dr.Nalin Ariyaratne has said.

If those milk powders contaminated with dcd then the milk products such as yoghurt,ice creams and cheese produced by those companies too contaminated with it as they too produced from cows milk dr.ariyaratne has revealed.

Addressing a press briefing held in Colombo ,dr,ariyaratne has said that it is puzzling why the ministry of health and it's officials still not take an action against milk powder companies imported the said contaminated milk powders although a research report of ITI confirms the contamination of DCD in them.Ministry of Health should take a legal action against these mill powder companies he stressed.

The DCD chemical has said to be contaminated cows milk of  dairy producers in some western countries including New Zealand as a measure of removing the threat to ozone layer by green house gas produced from urine of cows.as a result dairy producers adding dcd to grass eat by cows and it got contaminated with cows milk too scientists said.

According GMOA assistant Secretary Dr.Ariyaratne,the agro chemical dcd can cause infections in Nervous System,kidneys,livers and other important organs in human body and it should not contaminated in any food item as it considered as a toxic substance.

Meanwhile the authority of food in Sri Lanka director general of health services dr,palitha mahipala has said that he still not read the report issued by ITI regarding the dcd contamination of four varieties of imported milk powders in the market but a report issued by a laboratory in Thailand stated the imported milk samples sent to them were free of dcd.however none of the imported milk powders will issue to the market without testing them dr.mahipala has said.

According to the ITI report four varieties of imported milk powders in the local market tested by them contaminated with higher amounts of dcd chemical while two locally made milk powders tested were found no traces of dcd.the detailed research report was sent to ministry of health,the consumer affairs authority and the sri lanka customs for an action ITI has said.