Expert Panel To Hand Over The Amendments Of Proposed National Drug Policy

A Panel Compromise  with 15 experts of Pharmacology is due to be handed over the document of amendments for  the proposed draft of the National Drug Policy to the Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena withing next two weeks time the  Government Pharmacists Union has said.

The panel compromise with Professors and Doctors On Pharmacology ,Pharmacists and other experts are currently preparing the amendments to the drug policy and the panel has already identified 22 clauses in the draft which should be amended the union has stated .one of the key factors identified as need to be amended is the clause 38(1) of the drug policy which has stated Doctors can prescribe drugs by generic name as well as with the trade name the Secretary Of The Pharmacists Union MR.Ajith P.Thilakareatne has stressed..

The draft of the proposed National Drug Policy which is displayed at the Health Ministry Web Site  for public suggestions comes under heavy fire since last week  after most of the intellectuals in the drug field have criticized the draft as a completely changed one when compare with Professor Senaka Bibile's National Drug Policy .

Heaven Located At Abayaramaya Temple With Gods And Goddesses

We all have heard about the heaven and hell and what will cause a human to visit  one of these locations.but having view both  hell and heaven with life size portraits inside a Buddhist Temple is a quite a rare scene.at Abayaramaya Temple in Narahenpita(Colombo- on the road where Lanka Hospital is situated) public will able to view both heaven and the hell with large size portraits with description.The hell is displayed according to 5 SHIKSHA PADA'S of Buddhism in the canal temple located at Abayaramaya,The heaven is called" Sadev Pura" and the portraits of gods and goddesses are there with descriptions of their life expectancy.


I was able to capture some pictures of the heaven built there at the abayaramaya  temple last week .there is a  tall statue of Maithree Buddha the future  Lord Buddha situated in front of the place where heaven is located.Visit there and enjoy this new experience.

 Heaven Built At Abayaramaya Temple-Pix  By Emanthi.K Marambe

                                                                                           
          

Buddagaya Temple Converted To A Colorful Lantern

- The Lantern Portrays Buddhagaya Temple -Pix by Emanthi K Marambe

The Buddagaya Temple worshiped by millions of Buddhists all over the world has built as a tall lantern by the Employee of   Colombo National Hospital Mr.Ranjith Madagedara.the lantern which was made through only by using Cardboard is now displaying at the Colombo National Hospital premises  to mark the  Poson Poya day.

However the creator of this lantern Mr.Madagedera who was attached to the Salary Section of the hospital has suddenly demised on April this year and the son of his had completed  the lantern and displaying it at the  national hospital.it had taken  10 months to finish this colorful lantern it has been revealed.

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.