Three Health Institution Heads Who Delayed Their Transfers Released To The New Stations

 The Heads of the three Health Institutions attach to the Health Ministry who have delayed implementing the transfers they have received by months have been released to their new stations  with immediate effect according to the Health Ministry sources.

The three health institutions heads namely Dr.Hemantha Beneragama the outgoing Director of National Drug Authority,Dr.Amal Harsha De Silva the Western Provincial Health Director and Dr.(Mrs) Deepthi Perera the Director of Family Health Bureau have been released to the new ,stations as Director of Family Health Bureau ,Director Of National Drug Authority and Western Provincial Health Director respectively.

These directors who were delayed implementation of their transfers  also subjected to heavy criticisms of  the hands of several health trade unions.

Proposed National Drug Policy Will Increase The Importation Of Low Quality Drugs And Erant Pharmacies -Government Pharmacists Union

The proposed draft of the National Drug Policy published in Health Ministry Website will  lead to  importation of more and more low quality drugs to Sri Lanka  and the increasing  the number of errant pharmacies in the country according to the General Secretary of the Government Pharmacists Union Ajith P.Thilakaratne .the proposed drug policy is not a patient friendly one like the world renowned Professor Senaka Bibile's National Drug Policy and it's solely a private agenda of the corrupt higher officer attach to the Health Ministry He has said.

While addressing a press briefing held at Government Pharmacists Union Office in Colombo this morning the general secretary of the Union has said that even the new drug policy draft  is clearly violating the patients right to receive good quality drugs  at lower  prices as the clause 38(1) of the draft has  stated that  Doctors shall prescribe  drugs to the patients by generic name as well as by trade name .but the professor senaka bibile policy has indicated that the  doctors can only prescribe drugs to the patients under  generic name only he has stressed.

Even the new draft policy has create a confusion among public by allowing public to purchase drugs which are currently issued only for a prescription through a phone call or a sms Government Pharmacists Union Secretary has said.

The corrupt health officer who is responsible for adding his personal agenda items to the drug policy was  also responsible for adding the name of Deputy Director General of Laboratory Services as a member of the proposed drug evaluation committee under the draft  although that post has nothing to do with drug industry  he has stressed."that post is the one which the said officer was eyeing   during the making of the draft" Mr.Thilakeratne has revealed.

Sri Lankan Navy Had Arrested 73 Indian Fishermen Who Were Illegally Fishing In Sri Lankan Waters

Sri Lankan Navy had arrested 73 Indian Fishermen at Delft and Talaimannar areas who were  violated the  International Maritime Boundary Line by illegally fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters.

According to the Navy ,a group of 41 Indian Fishermen were arrested with  at Talaimannar and another group of 32 fishermen were arrested with at Delft Area . fifteen trawlers which these fishermen were in have also taken in to the custody .according to the reports the arrested Fishermen were arrived from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam areas in Tamil Nadu.the arrested fishermen were taken to Taliamannar and Kankasnthurai  Harbors and handed over to the fisheries authorities for further action Navy sources said.

The latest arrests of Indian Fishermen comes just days after Sri Lankan Navy had released 33 Indian Fishermen under the custody  as per the orders given by  President Mahinda Rajapaksha,

Meanwhile Both the Indian Government and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayram have criticized the latest arrests of Indian Fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy.

Proposed Draft Of The National Drug Policy Differed From Professor Senaka Bibile's National Drug Policy-Professor R.L Jayakody

The proposed Draft of the National Drug Policy which has been recently submitted to the Parliamentary Advisory Committee for review is different from the Original Professor Senaka Bibile's National Drug Policy and there are so many errors in the proposed draft need to be corrected says Professor R.L Jayakody the Professor Of Pharmacology at Faculty Of Medicine in University Of Colombo.

Although the Health Minister and Director General Of Health Services continuously pledging to implement the proposed National Drugs Policy Draft soon ,there are so many clauses in the draft need to be ratified before implementing it Professor Jayakody has said.addressing a seminar on the proposed National Drugs Policy Draft held at the National Blood Transfusion Center in Narahenpita yesterday(06) he has said that the proposed drug policy which was remade after the health authorities revealed that the previous draft was misplaced ,is out of track when comparing  with the Professor Bibile's National Drug Policy in many ways.

"One of the major errors in the proposed draft that identified is the Clause 38(1)  which stated that the doctors shall write the prescription of drugs from generic name as well as with the brand name .the aim of this clause is not clear " Professor has revealed.this will contradict with the Professor Bibile's Drug Policy which says the importation of Drugs to the country and prescribing to the patients  should be done by generic name" he has stressed.

Also he has questioned the authorities on what basis the post of  Deputy Director General Of Laboratory Services(DDG(LS) was  included in the draft as a member of the proposed National Medicinal Drug Authority to be set up under the draft," as the post has nothing to do with drug industry and only responsible for activities in laboratory services it's not clear the reason behind it's inclusion" Professor Jayakody has stated.

Meanwhile it is widely believed that the outgoing chairman of the National Drug Authority Dr.Hemantha Beneragama and the former health ministry secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake were responsible for including the DDG(LS) post as a member of the proposed authority to be set up under the drug policy. Dr.Beneragama who was eyed the DDG(LS) post a year back wants to involve in matters related to importing of drugs to Sri Lanka even after getting the new post Health Ministry Sources said.however the Public Services Commission(PSC) has recently requested the health ministry not to consider Dr.Beneragama for the post due to his malpractices in office and later another director was appointed for the post.

Meanwhile several doctors and trade union leaders present at the occasion were criticized the authorities for not publishing the draft policy of National Drug Policy in the Health Ministry Web Site from Sinhalese and Tamil Languages.as the draft is only displayed in the ministry web site in English language it will be unfair for other communities who wants to make suggestions and criticisms on the draft they have said.

A section of Professors,Doctors,Media Representatives ,members of Doctors and Nurses Unions,Patients rights Movement,Civil Activists,members of the World Health Organizations, legislative Department,State pharmaceutical Corporation,Sri Lanka Medical Association and Health Minsitry and related institutions were present at the occasion, all the suggestions made by the participated representatives on the drug policy will be utilized when making amendments to the draft Health Ministry officials have said.

Cockroaches Causes Respiratory Illnesses Like Asthma-Colombo Chief Medical Officer

The Chief Medical Officer Of Colombo Dr.Ruwan Wijemuni has appealed to the Public to ensure that  their houses are  free of Cockroaches as the  excreta and wings of them  will be caused serious respiratory illnesses like Asthma.the wings and excreta of the cockroaches are contain  an acid substance which causes the respiratory illnesses he has stressed.

The fumigation method which uses to destroy dengue mosquitoes is also destroying cockroaches as well Dr.Wijemuni  has further said. 

Colombo Public Health Department To Introduce The Ovitrap Method To Control Dengue

The Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council is planning to introduce the  "Ovi Trap"method to reduce  breeding of Dengue Mosquitoes in City Of Colombo according to Chief Medical Officer in Colombo Dr.Rohana Wijemuni."Ovi Trap" system which is recommended by World Health Organization as a successful method of destroying the dengue mosquito larvae has successfully tested in Singapore and Malaysia Dr.Wijemuni has said.

Under the  this method a Plastic Containers filled with water  will be planted in the  houses and institutions which are identified as  risk areas  of breeding dengue mosquitoes.after planting the plastic containers, the dengue mosquitoes will laying eggs in the water there. then the eggs will go down the water and the residents can either removed the water from the container else destroying the eggs Dr.Wijemuni has stressed.

Besides introducing the Ovi Trap method to control dengue mosquitoes the Colombo Public Health Department has decided to appoint 47 Dengue Control Officers for 47 Urban Divisions in Colombo City with the aim of implementing dengue control activities  effectively.the appointing of these officer will take place during next week the chief medical officer of Colombo has said.

The said officers will be provided with a fogging machine and other equipment for their work according to Dr.Wijemuni.

98% Of The Annual Child Births In Sri Lanka Occurs In Hospitals -Family Health Bureau

Out of the total number of child births reported in Sri Lanka annually 98% of child births occurs  in Hospitals under the supervision of a Gynecologist the deputy director of Family Health Bureau Dr.Chithramali De Silva has said.94 % out of this occurs in government hospitals and remaining 4% occurs in Private Hospitals she has stressed.

As the majority of pregnant mothers prefers to go to a Hospital for their child births only 2% out of the total number of child births occurs annually are happens at houses Dr.De Silva has revealed.

According to the newest survey carried out on the maternal morbidity in Sri Lanka only 37 maternal deaths have been reported from 100,000 pregnant mothers delivering their babies.this is the lowest maternal morbidity rate reported from South Asian Region Deputy Director of the Family Health Bureau has said."we are now planning to reduce this rate further to 23 maternal deaths by next year" she has further added.

Meanwhile according to the survey carried out by the Family Health Bureau around 120-150 maternal deaths are reported from Sri Lanka Annually mostly due to the hemorrhage.due to the safe blood transfusion facilities available in all government hospitals in Sri Lanka the maternal deaths occurs due to the hemorrhage has been reduced significantly Gynecologists have said.