Health Ministry To Establish A Special Eye Clinic For Diabetic Patients At Eye Hospital

The Health Authorities have decided to establish a special free eye clinic for Diabetic Patients at Eye Hospital in Colombo to be functioned daily with effect from tomorrow(27) according to the Ministry Of Health.This clinic which is to be inaugurated at 2 p.m tomorrow will establish in view of testing the vision problems of Diabetic Patients as the eye disorders among Diabetic Patients are on the increase Consultant Ophthalmologist Dr.Charith Fonseka has said.

Addressing a Media Seminar held at the Health Education Bureau this morning on"Diabetic Retinopathy" Dr.Fonseka has said that People who are suffering from Diabetes in the age group 45-60 are vulnerable for eye disorders including blindness.

It has been revealed that around 20% of the Sri Lankan Urban Population and 8% of Rural Population are suffering from Diabetes mainly due to the bad food habits,lack of exercise and mental
stress.

Meanwhile the Ministry Of Health has decided to establish a special eye clinic near the diabetic clinics in Government Hospitals in view of checking the vision of Diabetic Patients regularly .Also there is a plan to expand the diabetic clinics in Government Hospitals which enable to treat more patients in rural level.

The Ministry is due to declare a "Health Sri Lanka" Programme withing the first week of December to educate the public on non communicable diseases including Diabetes the Director General Of Health Services Dr.Palitha Mahipala has said.

HIV/AIDS Among Intravenous Drug Users Are On The Increase In Sri Lanka

Intravenous Drug Users(IDU'S) known as the Drug Users who are injecting Drugs to their bodies among the annually reported HIV Positives of  Sri Lanka are on the increase according to the Consultant  Venereologist attach to the National STD/AIDS Campaign Dr.Ariyaratne Manatunge.According to Dr.Manatunge out of the total number of HIV Positives reported from the country last year(2013) 2% are IDU's and in previous years non of the IDU's are among the HIV Positives reported.

In last year it has been estimated that around 423 Intravenous Drug Users were there in the country.Also female sex workers as well as the men to men sexual contacts among the HIV Positives in Sri Lanka too are on the increase Dr.Manathunge has said.

Female Sex Workers,Men to Men Sexual Contacts,Intravenous Drug Users,Drug Users and Beech Boys have been identified as the higher Risk Groups in the Sri Lankan Society that are  vulnerable to HIV/AID he has revealed.

Meanwhile it has been reported  that the HIV Positives in Sri Lanka  have been doubled withing the  last 5 years .Still the main cause for HIV/AIDS in Sri Lanka are heterosexual relationships which contributed 48% to the total number of HIV Positives reported from Sri Lanka.

Western,North Western and Southern Provinces have been identified as the provinces where highest number of HIV Positives are being reported.

These facts were revealed during the HIV /AIDS Media Workshop jointly conducted by Sri Lanka Family Planning Association and National STD/AIDS Campaign which was held at the Hotel Renuka in Colombo-03 this morning.

Accepting Of Postal Vote Applications For The Presidential Elections Commenced

The accepting of postal vote applications for the upcoming Presidential Elections scheduled to be held on 08th of January 2015 has began today (23) according to the Elections Department.the deadline for the accepting of postal vote applications is 04th of December.

The voter lists will be displayed at Divisional Secretaries and Grama Seva Offices Elections Department has said.

The Transfers Of 10,000 Police Officers Postpones Due To The Presidential Elections

Due to the upcoming Presidential Elections in January transfers of around 10,000 Police Officers scheduled to be implemented with effect from  January 2015 have been postponed until 01st of february The Police sources said.

The Police Department has decided to transfer these Police Officers ranking below the Police Inspectors with effect from 01st of January
2015.

Presidential Elections Due On 08th Of January

The Presidential Elections will be held on 08th of January the Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya has announced this evening.the handing over  of nominations for the elections is on 08th of December .

President Mahinda Rajapaksha has signed the proclamation yesterday on the presidential elections.

Main Opposition UNP Has Nominated The Health Minister Maithripla Sirisena As Their Common Presidential Candidate Of The Opposition

The main opposition United National Party(UNP) has today (21) nominated the  Health Minister and the secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Maithripala Sirisena as the common Presidential Candidate of the opposition for the forthcoming Presidential Elections.

Mr.Sirisena's appointment came by ending  weeks of speculations among the public and media over the  common candidate of the opposition .The new presidential candidate of the opposition has removed from his ministerial portfolio and the secretary post of the SLFP soon after his decision to accept the new appointment it has been reported.

After appointed as the common presidential candidate of the opposition for the presidential elections former minister sirisena has addressed the media at new town hall short while ago and said that he will bring a good governance for the country and also he has appealed to the public to give a clear mandate for him in the forthcoming presidential elections to abolish the executive presidency within 100 days after being elected.he has pledged to create a media freedom in the country  which he says has not seen  at present.Implementing the 17th amendment of the constitution ,abolishing  the 18th amendment and appointing the UNP Leader Ranil Wickramasinha as the prime minister of a future opposition government were among the promises that former minister has been  made during the media briefing.

Former President Mrs.Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge,The fisheries minister of the present government Dr.Rajitha Senaratne and MP Arjuna Ranathunge were among those present at the media briefing.

President Mahinda Rajapaksha has signed the proclamation yesterday(20) for holding the Presidential Elections -2015 which is expected to be held in early January next year.The elections commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya is to decide the date of the presidential elections soon.

The Administrative Work Of The Health Ministry Have Been Paralyzed As 12 Higher Officers Went Abroad For Seminars

The administrative activities of the Ministry Of Health have been paralyzed since last Tuesday(18) as 12 Higher Officers attach to the Ministry including the Health Ministry Secretary and the Director General Of Health Services went abroad at once to attend seminars and workshops the Health Ministry sources have revealed.

According to the sources the Health Secretary Mrs.Sudharama Karunathilake along with the Additional Secretary(Administration) and few other officers had left for Italy to attend a seminar on Nutrition while The Director General Of Health Services Dr.Palitha Mahipala had left for Switzerland to attend another Health seminar.Most of the other officials that went abroad including Deputy Director General of Health Services( Dental Services) are attending a seminar in Bhutan sources said.Two officials including the Deputy Director General Of Health Services(Laboratory Services) went Australia for a private tour it has been revealed.


Out of the seven Deputy Director Generals Of Health Services attach to the Ministry Of Health five have went abroad sources have stressed.

Due to the absent of most of the Higher Ministry Officials ,the weekly Public Day held for the  public at the Ministry Premises yesterday (19)was abandoned as there were only two higher officials to handle the activities.Now only three higher officials namely Deputy Director General Of Health Services(Medical Services-1) the Additional Secretary( Development) and the Deputy Director General of Health Services(Public Health-1) are there at the ministry to handle all the administrative work .