Health Ministry Spent Rs.3.32 Million For Testing Milk Powder On Melamine

Health Ministry had Spent Rs 3.32 Million to Foreign Laboratories so far Regarding Testing of Milk Powder Samples On "Melamine" Ministry Sources said Today(28).Ministry Spent this money for Laboratories in Singapore and in India.Up to Now The Food Control Unit of the Health Ministry sent 92 samples of Milk Powder for Testing "Melamine" and 22 Samples have been received as Negative.Reports of another 70 Samples due to receive soon According to the Ministry sources.
A Five Member Commitee has been set up under the food control unit of the Ministry to Monitor and Review the Milk and Milk Products containing "Melamine" in the Local Market.

PSC To Conduct An Inquiry Against The Guilty Persons Of Expired Blood Kits Case

Public Services Commission (PSC)is Due to Conduct an Disciplinary Inquiry on Four Persons Charged for Using of Expired Blood Kits for the patients including the Former Director of the National Blood Center In Narahenpita Dr.(Mrs)Mangalika Bindusara Health Ministry Sources said Today (27).Health Ministry Secretary Dr.Athula Kahanda Liyanage Already sent the Report of the Inquiry held in this regard to the Commission and to the Attorney General and Issued Charge Sheets against the guilty Persons.

Flavoured Babul And Beda Betel Leaves To Ban Again In Sri Lanka

Health Ministry Today (27)Decided to Ban Completely the Importing and Selling of Pakistani Flavored Betel Leaves "Babul" And "Beda" after Receiving Complaints from the Public and the Doctors .Around 18 Importers importing these Flavored Betel Leaves to Sri Lanka which are selling in front of the Schools and in Small Huts.Lot of School Children among the People who got Addicted to Chewing this Betel Leaves and are at risk of getting Cancer According to the Health Ministry.Some Flavored Ingredients and Colorings used for Preparing these Betel Leaves are Found as Cancerous Elements Ministry Sources Further Added.
According to the Recent Survey carried out among 75 of this Betel Chewers in Kegalle District by the Ministry of Health 40 were found as affected with the Oral Cancer.Tobacco Leaves which including the Addictive "Nicotine" used when preparing these Betel Leaves.Due to the Nicotine A person Chewed this Betal Leves once used to Chewing it again according to the Doctors.Health Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva will Chaired a special Meeting of Medical Experts scheduled to be held in this week at the Health Ministry to discuss on this Issue before official y announcing the Ban of the Babul and Beeda Betel Leaves.Ministry Of Health Imposed a Ban on Importing these Betel Leaves Few Months ago but Lifted the Ban later.

Sri Lanka and India Issued a Joint Statment On Conflict Saying Terrorism should Be Eliminated-Lives Of The Tamil People In The North Should Protected

Terrorism Should be Eliminated and the Tamils Living in The troubled areas in the North Should Protected According to the Joint Statement Issued by the Sri Lankan and Indian Delegates Yesterday(26) evening.Special Sri Lankan Envoy and Senior Advisor to the President Mahinda Rajapaksha M.p Basil Rajapaksha who arrived India to Brief on the Ongoing Military Operations in the North Met Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee yesterday Morning and hold Discussions.After the discussions they issued this Joint Statement.According to this statement Indian Government will send 800 Metric Tonnes of Food and Medical Aid For the Displaced Persons in the North.After the Discussions with the Indian External Affairs Minister Mr.Rajapaksha Left for New Delhi to meet Indian Leaders.Meanwhile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu S.Karunanidhi who Launched a Protest Campaign against the ongoing Military Operations in the North and threatened to Resigned from the Government Reversed his deceision after the Ruling Congress I President Mrs.Sonia Gandhi Talked to him.
Mr.Karunanidhi Assured the Indian Government that he and his alles are not Intervene into the Sri Lankan Affairs in future after Sri Lankan Government assured the Safety of the Tamil People in the North .
Indian Government Last weak said that the sri lankan Government should find a solution to their Conflict through negotiations.M.p Basil Rajapaksha went to India to Brief Indian Counterparts after Chief Minister Of Tamil Nadu S.Karunanidhi and his allies Launched a Protest Campaign against the Military Invasion of the Kilinochchi District saying that the Innocent Tamils in the area will become the victims due to the ongoing Military Operations there.however the Sri Lankan Government denied these allegations.Karunanidhi is also demanding from the sri Lankan Government to stop all Military Operations in the North and asked Indian Government to Intervene in this regard.These Latest Developments came as Sri Lankan Forces are Nearing the Capturing of LTTE's Final Stronghold and their Defacto State Capital kILINOCHCHI..

Health Ministry Launched An Inspection On Botteled Drinking Water After Receiving Complaints Against Them

The Food Advisory Committee of the Ministry Of Health Launched a Special Inspection Programme on Safety of the Bottled Drinking Water after Receiving Public Complaints on the Hygiene of these Water Products.Food Advisory Committee already Registered 106 Bottled Drinking Water Manufacturing Companies but These companies too come under this Inspection and If the Quality of any Bottled Water Product are Not Up to a Standard Legal Action will Taken against the Manufacturers Deputy Director General Of Health Services(Public Health)Dr.Palitha Mahipala Said.Food Advisory Committee Also Decided to Issue Registration Certificates to those Bottled Drinking Water Manufacturers who are Making Good Quality Products for a Three year Period and after this period the quality of their products will come under review again before Re Issuing Certificates.

Drama In Edna Chocolates-Melamine Issue -High Court Issued A Stay Order Against The Order Of The Add.Magistrate To Close The Edna Company

Few Hours After the Colombo Additional Magistrate Issued an Order to Edna Chocolate Company Management to Stop all their production,close Down the Company and Destroyed all the Chocolates which already In The Market and in their Stores Which are Manufactured from the "Melamine" Contained Chinese Milk Powder with Immediate effect ,Colombo High Court Issued a Stay Order Suspending that Order.Today (24) The Additional Magistrate of Colombo Manjula Thilakarathana Issued an Order against the Edna Company after the Court received the Test Reports confirming that the Chinese Milk Powder used to Manufacture EDNA chocolates is Contaminated with the Chemical "Melamine". Six Tonnes of Edna Chocolates made from the "Melamine" Contained Chinese Milk Powder Should Destroyed and a Half Page Advertisement should publish in all the News Papers in Sinhalese ,Tamil and English Languages to Inform the Public that Edna Chocolates are Dangerous to Consume according to that Order.
The Singapore Based Test Reports Produced to the Courts by the Consumer Protection Authority today Confirmed that "Melamine "Chemical ranging 1.5 PPM(1.5 parts of Melamine In Million Parts Of Milk Powder) is in that Sample Tested.
However Against this Judgment Management of the Edna Chocolate Company one of the largest Chocolate Manufactured Companies in Sri Lanka Got a Stay Order From the High Court.Staying Order of the High Court valid till 28th of this Month and it will not effect the Additional Magistrate's order to Stop the Production Till 25th of November.High Court also ordered to Re- tested the Samples of Chinese Milk Powder Used By the Edna Company.Court Hearing Regarding this case will Summoned 28th of this Month.

Twenty Containers Of Milk Powder Waiting In The Colombo Harbour For Receiving Green Signal For Melamine

Around Twenty Containers of Chinese Milk Powder Imported by the Local Companies are retain in Colombo Harbour till Received their Test Reports on "Melamine" Health Ministry Sources Said Today(24).These Stocks of Chinese Milk Powder will be Issued to those Companies Only after Receiving Negative Signal On "Melamine" Sources further added.

The Samples of these Stocks of Milk Powder sent to the Laboratories in Singapore and India for Melamine Test..

According to the Deputy Director General Of Health Services (Public Health)Dr.Palitha Mahipala A Five Member Committe to Inquire on the "Melamine" in Food Products Imported to Sri Lanka is formed under the Food Advisory Commitee of the Ministry of Health. This Commitee will Regularly Observed the Latest Developments regarding the Banned 'Melamine" Contained Food Items in Countries such as Singapore and Thailand.These Countries are already Published a List Containing the Banned "Melamine" Food Products Imported From China.