120,000 Sri Lankans Hospitalized Annually Due To Poisoning

Around 120,000 Sri Lankans have been hospitalized annually and out of them 1000-1500 have died due to poisoning Ministry Of Health has revealed.out of the total number of people getting hospitalized due to poisoning 55,000-60,000 have been poisoned due to insecticides and pesticides and 20,000 due to drug and other poisoning ministry has said.

Annually around 40,000-45,000 Sri Lankans are getting sick due to snake bites and 100 people have died due to the poisoning of snake bites.

In the view of to  educate as well as to making awareness among people on poisoning and the toxic substances which lead to poisoning Ministry Of Health with the help of National Poisoning Center in Colombo National Hospital have declared a National Week On preventing Poisoning from 28th of October to 03rd of November.an educational programmes and seminars to make aware people on poisoning are scheduled to be held during this week.

Have Five Pharmacists Attached To Cancer Hospital Received Work Suspension Orders As Stated By Health Ministry ?

Five Pharmacists attached to Maharagama ,Cancer Hospital have temporarily been  suspended from their work due to their involvement in selling an expensive Cancer Injection vials "Oncasper " prescribed for Child Leukemia Patients received by the hospital to  Drug Company that supplied those vials Health Ministry has announced today(24)according to the ministry statement issued regarding this the five pharmacists have temporarily been suspended from their work until the inquiry regarding the incident is concluded.

The Drug Company involved in the scam with Pharmacists too black listed according to the Ministry.the five Pharmacists who were punished have alleged as illegally sold   "Oncasper" injection vials to  drug company which has supplied those vials to the Cancer Hospital and the Company it self again sold that to the hospital Health Ministry has revealed.Health Authorities have spent Rs.237,000 to buy one vial of the said Cancer Injection ministry has said.

However when contacted the Cancer Hospital Authorities have said that no Pharmacist attached to Cancer Hospital has received either any charge sheet or an order regarding the work suspension.

Customs Officials Have Destroyed Rs.30 Million Worth Contraceptive Injection Vials Brought To The Country Illegally

The Sri Lankan Customs Officials have today(23) destroyed 30,000 bottles of Depo Provera Contraceptive  Injection Vials worth Rs.30 million which were brought to the country illegally by a Pakistan National according to Customs Sources.the destruction took place at container yard in Orugodawatta (Colombo Suburbs).

The destroyed stock of Injection vials were found by Customs recently when they were stored inside  a container which contained Potatoes .the Paksitani National who was responsible for bringing  these Injection Vials illegally to Sri Lanka got arrested by Customs Officers when he came to release the container .

After finishing initial inquiries the suspected Pakistani National who brought those injection vials was fined Rs.500,000 by customs and moved him to the courts for further action.

A Special Plan To Dispose Electronic Waste From Government Hospitals

A Special Plan to safely  Disposing  Waste of Electronic Devices Used by Government Hospitals will be implemented Next Monday(28) from Colombo National Hospital according to Director General Of Health Services Dr.Palitha Mahipala.as Electronic Waste known as harmful to human health as well as the  environment it should be disposed in special way dr.Mahipala has said.

Addressing a Media Seminar held today(23) at Health Education Bureau in Colombo he has further said that due to the disposing of electronic waste to the environment in unsafe manner people will be exposed to   respiratory diseases like Asthma ,genetic deformities,Cancers, and Kidney Diseases as the plastic compound used when making   Electronic devises contains metals like Lead,Cadmium,Arsenic and Mercury .

Health Ministry To Introduce Cows Milk To The Government Institutions Instead Of Milk Powder

After months of heated arguments exchanged  between Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) and Health Officials on DCD Contaminated imported milk powder issue ,the Ministry Of Health has finally decided to  stop consuming  milk powder in government institutions including health ministry it self by promoting  using  cow's milk in these institutions ministry sources said.

During the meeting held with members of Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) last week health ministry secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake has informed GMOA delegation that the ministry has implemented the first step of the milking the nation with liquid milk programme   by introducing using of cows milk for nine general hospitals in nine districts and the health ministry it self.

All these Nine General Hospitals are now giving their patients Cows Milk instead of special Milk Powders and Health Ministry too switched on to use Cows Milk according Ministry sources.

Meanwhile Government Medical Officers Association has said that during their meeting Health Ministry Secretary he has appointed a four member committee to inspect the programme on promoting Liquid Milk In the country as well as the implementing ten proposal initiative handed over by GMOA to the Ministry.the committee has compromise with two Deputy Director Generals on Public Health Dr.Sarath Amunugama and Dr.Siyambalagoda ,GMOA representatives Dr.Nalinda Hearth and Dr.Thimothy Wickramasinha .

Government Hospital Doctors To Launch An Island Wide Strike Prior To The Budget

The Government Hospital Doctors have decided to launch an island wide strike prior to the budget next month by demanding solutions for three service demands related to salary anomalies  of government employees the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) has announced today(22).

The media spokesman of   GMOA Dr.Naveen Soyza has said that the General Assembly of GMOA is scheduled to be held in Next Sunday (27) to decide the time frame of the proposed strike.addressing a press briefing held at GMOA Headquarters this noon Dr.Soyza has said that their service demands  including the increasing minimum salary of a Government Employee to Rs.20,000 and increasing salaries of government sector employees by 1:8 ratio .

Although the government has appointed the salary commission  it  has   fail to prepare the salary scales of government employees he has stressed.

Nurses,Professions Supplementary To Medcine And Para Medcis In Govt.Hospitals To Launch A Joint Strike

As cost of living is sky rocketing and salaries of employees have not been increased according to it ,the Joint Union Council of Nurses,Professions Supplementary To Medicine and Para Medics has decided to launch one day island wide token strike in government hospitals on 01st of November by demanding solutions for five of their service demands.

The biggest problem faced by employees in Sri Lanka nowadays is the high cost of living prevailing  in the country.especially health sector trade unions continuously saying that over the last few years their salary anomalies and revisions of allowances  remains unsolved.according to the Joint Union Council Of Nurses-Professions Supplementary To Medicine And Para Medics the Health Ministry has overlooked their demands over the years like increasing allowances and revising salary anomalies ."therefore we have no other option than going for a trade union action" says the joint convener of the joint council Saman Ratnapriya.

Except Nurses around 14 other health professions belongs to Professions Supplementary To Medicine and Para Medics have scheduled to be launched the one day island wide token strike on 01st of November if the health authorities not taking any steps to solve their demands before 30th of this month Ratnapariya has said.