Adverse Weather Conditions Have Disrupted The Life In Up Country Areas

The National Building Research Organization(NBRO) has warned the public in four districts in the up country on possible land slides and power failures due to the adverse weather conditions prevails in those districts at present.Nuwara Eliya,Kegalle ,Kandy And Ratnapura Districts are identified as the areas prone to weather related disasters NBRO has stated.

Meanwhile  due to the rising water levels sluice gates of Upper Kotmale,Lakshapana,Castlereigh and Nortonbridge Reservoirs have been opened authorities have said.due to the heavy showers  prevailing at present those  who are residing in low lying areas have been  advised by the authorities to be vigilant on this situation .also the central provincial education ministry has today(12) decided to close all schools in Hatton District due to the bad weather.

Due to the adverse weather conditions including earth slips  prevailing  in the up country areas the night train service of up country rail way route are being  continuously  disrupted it has been reported.the hatton -colombo main road was blocked this evening due to an earth slip occurred in diyagala area.the vehicle movements on hatton-colombo main road is disrupted due to this and the  authorities have advised motorists to use alternative routes.

Prices Of Some Essential Drugs In Private Pharmacies Are 37 Folds Higher Than In Government Pharmacies

Some of the essential Drugs Prescribed to the patients by  Hospital Doctors are being sold  in Private Pharmacies at higher Prices more than 37 folds  when compared  to the  Government Pharmacies  health sources have said.

According to the Government Pharmacists an essential Cholesterol drug "Rusovastatine" 10 Milli Grammes prescribed for
 the patients to buy outside is being sold in Government Pharmacies for Rs.4.10 per tablet while in Private Pharmacies it is sold for Rs.150.25 per tablet.the same thing applies to the essential drugs including "Cholesterol Drug"Atovastatine",Diabetic Drugs "Glyclazide", and "Metformin" and Pressure Tablets "Enalapril" Government Pharmacists have stressed.

As Sri Lanka is still not having a  National Drug Policy although trying to implement such a policy  since two decades ,Private Pharmacies are increasing the prices of drugs without any control due to the absence of a price control mechanism they have further said.as throughout the island  there are only around 26 Government owned Pharmacies, most of the people in rural areas are not able to getting the benefit of purchasing the  good quality drugs for lower prices through these state pharmacies it has been stated.

The Draft of the National Drug Policy which has prepared recently is too found as having so many lapses as it's not even able to address the needs of the patients it has been revealed.

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.