Trains Got Delayed Fourth Day Due To The Train Drivers Strike

Trains got delayed for the fourth day today due to the work to rule campaign launched by Train Drivers since last Wednesday(30).some trains departed today from Fort and Maradana Railway Stations few hours later then the scheduled time Railway Department has said.

The Locomotive Engineer Union has launched this work to rule campaign since last Wednesday by demanding authorities to solve the shortages occurred    in Signal Systems,Rail Tracks and Trains.

More Then 200 Drug And Surgical Items Are Out Of Stock In Govt.Pharmacies

More Then  200 Medicinal Drug Varieties and Surgical Items  Are not available in Government Pharmacies these days according to health sources.due to this situation a large number of patients who are receiving  treatment from the private sector have faced numerous difficulties as majority of them are purchasing drugs from government pharmacies due to cheaper prices.

This drug shortage has occurred due to not receiving ordered drugs in time the sources have added.

A Popular Illegal Gambling Center Was Raided And 34 People Got Arrested

A Special Police Investigation Team has raided a popular illegal gambling center functioned at Town Hall this evening and arrested thirty four persons including a woman according to Police Sources.a woman and 7 employees at the gambling center were among those arrested police sources added.

The raid has been carried out at 6 p.m this evening by the special police team compromising with OIC of the Anti Vice Squad in Western Province Inspector Chandana and OIC of Colombo Crimes Division Chief  Inspector Neville  De Silva.The Colombo Crimes Division is conducting further investigations on the incident.

This is the second time that this gambling center in Town Hall was raided and in previous occasion all 23 police officers involved in the raid carried out there last year were controversially transferred to other police stations following the incident.

Patient Services Of 125 Government Hospitals In Three Provinces Paralyzed Due To The Strike Action Of PSM"S

The issuing of Medicinal Drugs through the OPD Pharmacies,X Ray/Scan Tests,Laboratory Tests and Physiotherapy Treatment offered by around 125 government hospitals in Northern, Eastern and North Central Provinces were paralyzed today (06)due to the strike action launched by professions supplementary to medicine(PSM's) hospital sources have revealed.

Due to this situation tens of thousands of patients have faced numerous difficulties the sources said.

However the striking PSM's maintained the emergency services in  the said hospitals and only the routine work has been cancelled during to day the sources added.although main hospitals like Jaffna,Trincomalee,Batticloe,Ampara,Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa issued chits for outdoor patients to purchase drugs from nearby government pharmacies the rural hospital patients returned home with empty handed as those hospitals are not provided such facility it has been revealed.

The PSM's have launched the strike action since  this morning by demanding solutions for two of their service demands namely halting curtailment of All Health Sciences Degree awarded to PSM'S and providng long delayed service promotions of PSM'S.

Meanwhile The Joint Council Of Professions Supplementary To Medicine this evening has decided to suspend there  strike action on tomorrow at 8 a.m for two weeks after the health ministry secretary DrNihal Jayathilake has promised the Joint Council to appoint two committees to look after their two demands.

According to the secretary of Joint Council Saman Jayasekera the strike launched by today in three provinces will be suspended from 8 a.m tomorrow morning,

Nurses To Suspend Their Island Wide Trade Union Action Tomorrow Morning-Nurses Union President

The Trade Union Action launched by government hospital nurses since last Saturday (03) will be  suspended   tomorrow(05) morning at 6 a.m  following the assurance made by health ministry secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake that the midwifery training given to a batch of nursing students at present will continue without any disturbance the president of Public Services Nurses Union(PSNU) Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero has said today(04).

Addressing a press briefing held at Abayaramaya Temple In Narahenpita ,the PSNU President has stressed that the Government Hospital Nurses who were withdrawn from hospital services islandwide will return to work from tomorrow morning." we will suspend the strike accepting health ministry secretary's assurance and respect patients rights to receive treatment .but if the officials of Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) and Midwives are continuously harassing nurses over the midwifery training issue we will re launch a strict trade union action very soon" Muruthettuwe Thero has said.

Meanwhile all routine surgeries perform at Government Hospitals have been cancelled both yesterday and today due to the trade union action of nurses government hospital sources have revealed.although directors of main hospitals have taken steps to provide in ward patient care like giving saline and medicine to patients with the assistance of  doctors and other staff ,it is not sufficient  to reinstate the paralyzed patient care services fully the sources added.the patient care services in all government hospitals paralyzed for the second day today due to this trade union action hospital sources further said.

Patient Care Services Have Paralyzed In All Government Hospitals As Nurses Withdrawn From Their Services

All Government Hospital Nurses except nurses attach to five government  hospitals have withdrawn from hospital services today (Saturday 03rd of May) paralyzing patient care services in wards and clinics of   government hospitals island wide. the striking nurses will continue their trade union  action tomorrow(Sunday(04))as well   in  protest against  Health Ministry's  failure  of solving the dispute between government medical officers association(GMOA),the midwives and nurses over the midwifery training.

Due to the trade union action hundreds of thousands of patients getting treatment from government hospitals both indoor and outdoor faced numerous difficulties today according to hospital authorities.

According to the President of Public Services Nurses Union(PSNU) Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero Nursing Staff attach to government hospitals numbering 30,000  withdrawn  from their services this morning  and the  .nursing staff attach to Castle Street Maternity,De Soyza Maternity,Lady Ridgway Childrens ,Mahamodara Maternity and Maharagama,Cancer Hospitals refrain from joining the trade union action due to humanitarian reasons . only the emergency services will maintain in government hospital where  the  trade union action has been carried out venerable Muruththettuwe Thero has stressed.

The PSNU has decided to go for this trade union action after the discussions held between Nursing Unions and health ministry officials headed by Health Minister last  evening  have failed to reach any  solution for the dispute over midwifery training issue.

The Public Services Nurses Union headed by Venerable Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero is the largest trade union of Nurses in Sri Lanka which representing more than 95% of the government hospital nurses.

Meanwhile the  executive committee of the Nurses Union is scheduled to  meet tomorrow(04) to decide their future course of action if the health authorities are continuously ignoring  the  solving of  midwifery training issue the Public Services Nurses Union(PSNU) has said.the officials of the GMOA and government midwives are harassing the nursing staff of government hospitals and therefor health authorities should intervene and solve the issue the Nurses Union has stressed.

Leftist Government Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara Want To Change Executive Presidency To A Parliamentary Governance

"The working class people in Sri Lanka should be get united under one banner and try to change the current executive presidency and restore parliamentary governance instead of trying to topple the current government if really want  fair solutions for their burning problems" the Minister of National Languages and Social Integration Vasudeva Nanayakkara has said today(01).

Addressing a May Day meeting organized by the Republic Health Services Union in Colombo this morning the minister has said that by dividing in to political parties,religions,caste and class could not  do any good for the working class people and national unity among them is the greatest weapon for them to win their demands."working class people in this May Day should think of launching a island wide token strike to change the current governing system in the country " he has stressed.

"Nowadays working class in the country have not received a sufficient income to meet their expenses and on the other hand the cost of living is rising sharply by adding more burden to their lives.so the workers therefor  should try atleast  to get their allowances increased' the minister has further said.

However by addressing the gathering most of the  trade union leaders have stressed the need to topple current  government as the government  is trying to reduce gratuity  of the government service and destroying the public money by investing in institutions which are suffering heavy losses.