Health Minister Has Instructed The Special Investigations Unit To Probe On Former Sacked Ministry Officer

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has last week  instructed the Special Investigations Unit of the Health Ministry to investigate on two corrupt charges leveled against former sacked Media Officer of the ministry D.M Wanninayake .

Under the instructions of the minister the Special Investigations Unit has already began investigations against the former  media officer who was charged that building two houses and bought two luxurious vehicles  from the money he has earned illegally through the drug companies while in office and staying in the media officer post for nearly 10 years although he was appointed for two year period the Health Ministry sources said.the former media officer was sacked from his post by the former Health Ministry Secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake who is now the secretary of the economic development ministry.

However the said media officer who was transferred to the Information Department after sacking from his post in the Health Ministry is still trying to return to his previous  post by influencing the Health Minister and Director General Of Health Services through the corrupt drug companies according to the  sources.the former media officer was reported as meet the  health minister last week and appealed the minister to appoint him to the media officer post again sources further said.

Meanwhile health trade unions have said that if the health authorities have again appointed a corrupt officer to his recent post it will be a violation of code of ethics in a government institution as the said person is already charged with corruption charges.

Defense Secretary Has Instructed Authorities To Take Action Against Elements Spreading Anti Racial And Religious Sentiments

The Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajpaksha has instructed the Security Authorities to take stern action for the extremist elements who are spreading racial and religious hatred sentiments  through the  Social Media Sites like Facebook.

Defense Secretary's move  came after it was revealed that by using Facebook some elements are trying to  spread racial and religious hatred sentiments  as well as false information among Sri Lankans living  in abroad.after the Beruwela and Aluthgama clashes some elements are spreading false information through text messages and the  large number of Anti Muslim and Anti Buddhists pages that created in Facebook make the situation worst security sources said.

Ten Blood Tests Performs In Government Hospitals Are At Risk Of Suspension Due To MLT Shortage

Around ten blood  tests performs in major government hospitals island wide are at risk of  suspension  due to  the severe shortage of government medical laboratory technicians(MLT) faced by those hospitals according to the Government Medical Laboratory Technicians Association.

The Blood Tests including Dengue Anti Body and Leptospyrosis Tests are at risk of suspension in Major Government Hospitals  the Association has said.some sections of the Path Labs in Medical Research Institute in Borella ,South Colombo Teaching Hospital,Northern Colombo Teaching Hospital,Anuradhapura General Hospital and Maharagama Cancer Hospital are already at risk of close down due to the shortage of MLT's the president of the Medical Laboratory Technicians Association Mr.Janaka Nishantha has said.

Even the patients in  Hospitals attach to Provincial Councils like Gampaha and Awissawella hospitals  are in awaiting lists to get done essential blood tests due to the shortage of MLT's he has stressed.

Meanwhile the MLT Association has criticized some senior MLT's attach to Colombo National Hospital for trying to transfer some of the MLT's attach to Path LABS in the Hospital illegally to other hospitals without going to transfer boards .

Court Of Appeal Too Issued An Injunction Order Preventing A Specialist Doctor For Contesting GMOA Elections

As the Court Of Appeal has issued an Injunction Order today(27) against Dr.Harsha Atapattu from being  contesting for the post of Vice President at  the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) elections scheduled to be held tomorrow(28) ,it has been speculated in the medical circles that the whole Annual General Meeting(AGM) including the elections will be subjected to postpone.

Few days back the Colombo District Court 1 too has issued an interim order preventing Dr.Atapattu from being contesting at the GMOA elections .the two courts have issued these orders to GMOA according the complaint made by few doctors including the nominee for contesting President's Post of the GMOA Dr/Niroshan Premaratne.

Meanwhile GMOA has issued a statement regarding the present situation and said that although Courts prevented a specialist Doctor from contesting at the elections the annual general committee meeting to elect other office bearers will be held tomorrow(28) as usual.

Authorities Have Avoid Making Professor Bibile's Drug Policy To Entertain Drug Companies-Nursing Union President

The Health Authorities have avoid of making Professor Senaka Bibile's National Drug Policy because it will cause to reduce the number of Drug Varieties currently imported to Sri Lanka to 358 from 10,000 according to the President of the Government Nursing Officers Union Saman Rathnapriya,

Due to this reason authorities have made the proposed Draft of the National Drug Policy as a friendly policy for the multi national drug companies not as the patients friendly one he has
stressed.

If the Health Ministry is able to amend the proposed act with the help of  experts of  the Pharmaceutical Industry it will become a patients friendly act Rathnapriya has said,he has also urged the Ministry to publish the drug policy act in the Ministry Web Site in both Sinhalese and Tamil languages as well .the draft act is now published in the site from only in English language . 

8000 Government Midwives Have Withdrawn From Hospital Services From Today(26)

Around 8000 midwives attach to Government Hospital Labour Rooms and Field work have been withdrawn from their services island wide since this morning crippling the filed work according to Government Midwives Union.midwives launched this trade union action by demanding the withdrawal of  circular issued by Health Ministry Secretary Mrs.Sudharma Karunaratne instructing Midwives to function under nursing staff.

The said circular  which was issued on 18th of June was  violated the rights of Midwives according to the President of Government Midwives Union Mrs.Devika Kodithuwakku.she has said that until the health authorities taken steps to withdraw the said circular midwives will continue their tarde union action.

Meanwhile Hospital Sources have said that the  Midwives services in hospital labour rooms not affected due to the trade union action as nursing staff handling those services without any interruption .

The Nurses Trade Unions have backing the circular issued by the Health Secretary and said that the midwives are functioning under nursing staff since decades and health secretary has done the right thing by issuing the circular.

All Ceylon Nurses Union Wants Proposed Drug Policy Draft To Be Changed Completely

The All Ceylon Nurses Union has today (24)claimed that the proposed National drug Policy Draft should be fully changed as it fails to come near the Professor Senaka Bibile's original National Drug Policy .

The Government Pharmacists Union lead Expert Panel has already suggested to amend 42 articles of the proposed drug policy draft which is currently published in Health Ministry web site for the   suggestions of the public .

As the proposed drug policy fails to safeguard patients rights for getting high quality medicinal drugs for lower prices it should be changed completely and should re introduced the previously made drug policy draft which was announced by health authorities as misplaced ,the president of All Ceylon Nurses Union Mr.Gamini Kumarasinha has said.