New Health Ministry Secretary To Be Assumed Her Duties On Monday

The Secretary of the Ministry Of Plantations Mrs.Sudharma Karunaratne is due to be assumed her duties as the new secretary of the Ministry Of Health this Monday (02) according to sources.she is replacing the outgoing health ministry secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake who has already been assumed  duties as the secretary of Economic Development Ministry .

Dr.Jayathilake has  replaced the former secretary of the economic development ministry and current treasury secretary Dr.P.B Jayasundare.

Meanwhile according to the health ministry sources there are rumors that the ousted media officer of the ministry W.M.D Wanninayake is planning to return to the post after new secretary has assume her duties on this Monday.the former media officer was sacked from his post by the outgoing health secretary Dr.Jayathilake last week due to some charges against him including exercising luxurious privileges not entitled to  the media officer post and  involving some  corrupt tender deals.

Sri Lankan Children Aged 6-59 Months Are Suffering From Anemia-Newest Nutrition Survey Reveals

According to the newest Nutrition Survey conducted by the Medical Research Institute(MRI) in Colombo  15.1% of the children aged   6 months to 59 months are suffering from Iron Deficiency Anemia .a majority of these children with anemia which is around 34% are belongs to the age group 6 months to 11 months .

Approximately 15% of the preschool children and 20% of the School going children are suffering from anemia according to survey results.the prevalence of anemia among non pregnant women aged 15 years to 49 years was 22.2% and among pregnant women was 16.7%.

Addressing the media seminar held today(29) at the Health Education Bureau titled"Iron Rich Food for health,strength and intelligence" to mark the National Nutrition Month falls on June  Dr.Renuka Jayathissa a senior Nutritionist attach to UNICEF has said that Iron Deficiency Anemia is caused due to the insufficient dietary intake,poor absorption of iron and the loss of blood (eg:Parasitic Infestations and menstrual bleeding).

" The Ministry Of Health has already launched a nutritional plan to aim of reducing the anemia among children and women in the country by 50% at the end of 2016" she said.rich dietary sources of Iron are in red meet like chicken,pork,mutton and beef also in small fish,organic meet like liver ,vegetables like green leaves and pulses like beans,soya been,green gram,chickpea,cowpea,ulundu and dhal.products of these pulses-tofu,been curd and soya meet dr.jayathissa has stressed.

The economic impact of anemia is high and it is around US Dollars 50 billion loss in gross domestic product according to her.if the children aged 6 months to 12 months supplied diet using iron sprinkles at home a US Dollars 37 gain in productivity can be reached per US One Dollar spent it has been revealed.

Out Going Health Secretary Ordered An Inquiry Against The Sacked Media Officer

The Out going Health Ministry Secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake has ordered  a fresh inquiry from the internal audit   of the ministry on  the charges leveled against sacked media officer of the Health Ministry W.M.D Wanninayake .

Ignoring the duties vested him as the media officer in the health ministry and exercising luxurious privileges which are not entitled to the media officer post are among the main charges leveled against the sacked media officer wanninayake.

The health secretary has hit and chased the sacked media officer  out from the secretary's office last Friday evening after sacking him from the post of media officer.he is now returned to the information department where he was  originally attached to.

The health secretary has indicated in the removal letter handed over to the media officer last Friday that media officer wanninayake has illegally given health ministry information to the media as a media spokesman in the ministry although no such media spokesman appointed to the ministry.the former media officer has also reported as allegedly involved in many corrupt tender deals of the health ministry and taking bribes from some  drug companies to attack their rival drug companies.he has also worked as an unofficial media consultant for many drug companies it has been revealed.

Dengue Mosquito Density Increased In Ratnapura District

The Dengue Mosquito Density in several areas of the Ratnapura District(Sabaragamuwa Province) has increased by around 8 folds more then the normal mosquito density level according to the Entomology Assistant Officers.the mosquito density in those areas are found as 40 in the Bretau  Index which measures the mosquito density in an area.

Most of the other risky areas of Dengue situated throughout the
island including Colombo and Gampaha Districts have been reported as having Dengue Mosquito Density around 30 in the index sources said.

President Ordered To Release 14 Indian Fishermen Got Arrested For Drug Trafficking

President Mahinda Rajapaksha has ordered to release 14 Tamil Nadu  Fishermen who were arrested for drug trafficking charges as a goodwill gesture towards India ,the government sources said.president has ordered to release these fishermen just before his departure to attend  the swear in ceremony of Indian Newly Elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi held yesterday .

As the court cases against these fishermen are conduct  in different courts they are due to be released next week after completing their court cases.

Out of the 14 fishermen due to be released ,11 are from Rameshwarem Island and  3 are from Arcottuthurai in Nagapattinam  District.

German National Drowns In Hikkaduwa Sea

A 74 year old German National was found dead after  drowning in the Sea at Hikkaduwa Area yesterday(26) evening.the victim Berns Matias was married to a Sri Lankan Woman and lives in Hikkaduwa according to the police.

The postmortem of the deceased was conducted at Karapitiya Hospital today(27).

Members Of 50 Government Trade Unions Are To Stage A Massive Protest Campaign In Colombo

Members belongs to around  50 Government Trade Unions including Unions of Professions Supplementary To Medicine,Nursing,Minor Staff,Bank Officers,Postal,Teachers ,University Teachers , Railways and student movements are due to stage a massive protest campaign in front of the Fort Railway Station in Colombo this Wednesday(28) against the decision on reducing the study period of allied health sciences degree  and assaulting of allied health sciences degree students.

The protesting trade union activists and students are due to walk towards the fort railway station from Colombo National Hospital premises at 1 p.m on Wednesday and due to reach fort station at 2  p.m according to the secretary of Joint Council Of Professions Supplementary To Medicine Mr.Saman Jayasekera.

The protesting trade unions are demanding authorities to stop reducing the study period of allied health sciences degree from 4 years to 3 years and stop assaulting allied health sciences degree students."the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) is  responsible for reducing the study period of the degree" Saman Jayasekera has stressed.