Two Gazette Notifications On Mega Projects Of Australian Tycoon Packer Has Approved By Parliament

The two gazette notifications on  mega projects that  building a new luxury hotel with a casino by Australian Business Tycoon James Packer have approved today(25) in Parliament with a majority of 65 and 68 votes respectively.

The gazette notifications of James Packer has passed with 109 voted in favor and 44 voted against it while gazette notifications of JKH Waterfronts has received 112 in favor and 44 against it.the main opposition party United National Party(UNP) has voted against the notifications  with government ally Jathika Hela Urumaya(JHU) while Government Minister of Jathika Nidahas Peramuna Wimal Weerawansha ,Sri Lanka Muslim Congress MP'S and the minister Rishad Badurdeen were absent at the time of voting.

Meanwhile president mahinda rajapaksha has assured Media Organization heads that the gazette notifications passed at the parliament are solely  regarding building of a new  luxury hotel
and there's no plan to build a casino with the hotel.

Paying Wards At Kandy General Hospital Turned To A Gymnasium And On Call Room

The two paying wards built for patients  at Kandy Teaching  Hospital have now turned to a gymnasium and an on call room for hospital doctors at a cost of millions of rupees with the help of health authorities and government medical officers Association( GMOA) the President of Government Nursing Officers Union, Saman Rathnapriya has said today(24).

Health Ministry has approved this illegal project and the two paying wards shut down patients since last July to accommodate  the gymnasium and on call room Ratnapriya has stressed.all the equipments fixed in those two paying wards have now removed and stored in a separate room he has revealed.

This is an one example for medical dictatorship spread by the GMOA in the health sector at present as a largest trade union of government doctors Ratnapriya has added.he urged the health authorities to remove the gymnasium and on call room from the mentioned paying wards of Kandy General Hospital and re established the paying wards for the benefit of

patients.

A Gazette Notification Which Legalize Casinos In Sri Lanka Has passed In Parliament?

One out of  three controversial gazette notifications tabled under the strategic development project act that opposition  parties claims as will legalize casinos here was passed this evening at parliament with a majority of 71 votes. the controversial gazette notification was passed amidst heavy protests of main opposition United National Party(UNP) as MP's of the party were protested against the notification in front of Parliament.

During the voting 113 MP's were voted in favor of the Act while 42 including Venerable Athuraliye Rathana Thero who is in the government bench were voted against the act.68 MP's including MP's of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress have abstained from voting.UNP,JVP and TNA MP's were voted against the act.Ministers Champika Ranawaka,Wimal Weerawansha ,Rauff Hakeem and Rishard Badurdeen were the notable absentees when the vote has taken place.

Health Workers Belongs to 27 Grades Are To Be Report Sick On Friday

Around 27 Grades  of Health Workers attach to Government Hospitals including attendants,chefs,Telephone Operators and Lift Operators are due to launch an island wide sick note campaign on this Friday(25) by demanding solutions for five of their service demands according to the Joint Trade Union Council.

The secretary of the Council Dr.W Ranasinha has said that the health workers who are reporting sick leave on Friday will march towards the Treasury in the morning of that day from the Ministry Of Health  and hold a protest campaign  in front of the Treasury Building .

The five demands that the health workers are seeking fair solutions including the declaring five working day week for the health workers and paying arrears of their salaries Dr.Ranasinha has stressed.

Government Has Temporarily Suspended Sending Workers To Libya

The Government has temporarily  suspend sending of Sri Lankan employees to Libya with immediate effect due to the poor working conditions in that country according to the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau .Around 15-20 Sri Lankan employees are currently working in Libya and the bureau has already make arrangements to bring back those workers to the country.

The Foreign Employment Bureau has already requested Sri Lankan Embassy In Libyan Capital Tripoli to make arrangements to bring back these workers here as soon as possible a
spokesman of the bureau has said.

Dengue Epidemic Is On The Way As Dengue Mosquito Density Increased In Most Parts Of The Country

The Density of Dengue  Mosquito Larvae in majority of Districts throughout the island has increased by more than four folds during this April according to the newest  study conducted by Entomology Assistant Officers. the secretary of Health Services Entomology Assistant Officers Union Mr.Najith   Sumanasena has said that most of the districts including Colombo,Gampaha,Batticloe,Trincomalee,Galle,Matara  and Kurunagala, have Dengue Mosquito Density of 20 in "Breteau Index" which measures the mosquito larvae density in a District which is very high more than the normal rate.the normal mosquito  density in a district should be less then 5 in Breteau Index.

Due to the Dengue Mosquito Density which  increased by more than four folds in most of the districts there's a greater threat of spreading Dengue epidemic throughout the island in coming days with the assistance of rainy weather that
prevails in the country at present Mr.Sumanasena has said.

As Dengue Mosquito Larvae are breeding rapidly at present ,programmes should be implemented continuously throughout the island to destroy dengue mosquito larvae and cleaning the environment the epidemiologists advised the authorities and public.

According to the Government Hospital Sources a large number of Dengue Patients have been admitted to the hospitals during last few weeks and it increases day by day.around 7025 dengue patients have been reported throughout the island from 01st January this year to 22 nd of April and 57.66% out of these patients were residents of Colombo District.

Colombo National Hospital Branch Of GMOA Criticized Parent Union's Failure To Launch Trade Union Actions

The Colombo National Hospital Branch of the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) has criticized it's parent union for not launching most of the island wide strike actions that have decided due to the bribery  charges leveled against   president of GMOA by the government."the GMOA now becomes a puppet union which not even able to launch an island wide strike to win demands of it's members mainly due to the president of the union" the Colombo National Branch Union of GMOA has stated.

The Government Medical Officers Association is the largest Trade Union in Sri Lanka  that representing majority of government doctors which has around 15,000 members.

The criticism over GMOA has come to limelight after the GMOA executive committee has announced today(21)  that the scheduled island wide continuous strike action of government doctors due to be launched tomorrow(22) to  demand the approval of public services commission(PSC) for their service minute  has postponed for 10 days without giving an exact  reason for that decision.

GMOA Parent Union not able to launch a single island wide strike action during last three years to win it's members demands although the executive committee has decided around 7-8 island wide strike actions in that period health sources said.