Colombo Health Officials Destroyed 400 Killos Of Expired Dry Rations

The Officials of the Colombo Public Health Department destroyed 400 kilos of Expired Dried Rations including Tea,Anions,Dried Fish ,Dates  stored in  Trade stalls at the Manning Market in Colombo yesterday.The Officials were taken 86 Samples of suspected dry rations stored in 114 trade stalls for further tests.

Colombo Public Health Department is planning to take a legal action against 18 trade stalls of the Market which involved in selling  expired and contaminated Dry Rations to the public.

Sri Lankan Military And Chinese Govt.Conducting Two Investigations On The Explosion

Sri Lankan Military and the Chinese Government are conducting two separate Investigations on the Explosion occurred near the Karadiyanaru Police Station yesterday.The explosion which believed to be killed more than sixty people including two Chinese Nationals is reported as an accidental one.

Chinese Ambassador along with few of the Chinese officials of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo visited the blast site yesterday afternoon to get an clear idea on the incident.Three Explosive container trucks exploded which parked near the Karadiyanaru Police Station for safety yesterday morning when two Chinese Officials came from a cab trying to remove some  explosives from a container in one truck.Then the container exploded and as a result other trucks too got exploded.

More Than Sixty People Including Chinese Nationals Killed Due To An Explosion In The East

More then sixty  people including  few chinese nationals were killed and dozens injured when three container trucks with explosives parked near the karadiyanaru police station were exploded this noon.The exploded container trucks belongs to the chinese construction company and brought for Highway construction work according to the government sources.

Injured were hospitalized and four of the injured were transferred to the Accident Service of the Colombo National Hospital.The cause of the explosion reported as an accidental one according to the available sources.

Study Shows More Than 80 Percent Of Sri Lankan Females And Males Are Fast Food Addicts

The newest study conducted by the Ministry of Health has  revealed 83 percent of the Females and 81 percent of the Males in Sri Lanka are addicted to Fast Foods.According to the Additional Secretary(Medical Services) to the Ministry Dr.Palitha Mahipala there is a great risk of developing Stroke amongst these Fast Food Addicts and there are signs that the Stroke is to become the second largest cause of the Deaths occurred in the country.

According to the Dr.Mahipala 11 percent of the Annual Deaths in Sri Lanka is caused by the Stroke and the people who affected with the disease are contributing heavily to the economic development of the country.Ministry of Health has identified the age group 18-65 as the most vulnerable group for getting Stroke.Around 25 percent of this age group addicted to smoking and 26 percent addicted to liquor.Another 20 percent is having overweight which may lead to stroke in future Ministry has said.

Management of Stroke and reducing the consumption of Fast Foods as well as screening the risky people for Stroke test are the methods that can be implemented to combat the Stroke according to the Medical Specialists.

Meanwhile the Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Stroke Society Dr.Padma Gunaratne said that the Programme implemented to prevent Stroke In Sri Lanka has earned the first place amongst the other countries in the world.

GMOA Questioned The Quality Of Foreign Medical Graduates

Out of 227 Foreign Medical Graduates who failed to pass the Act 16 Examination in recent months which is must for the Foreign Medical Graduates 6 are without Advanced leval qualification and 12 persons not having a Single Credit Pass in their Advanced Level Examination the Vice President of the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) Dr.Anurudda Padeniya said today.

Addressing a Media Briefing at the GMOA Headquarters in Colombo Dr.Padeniya has said that due to this situation the Sri Lanka Medical Council(SLMC) has ruled that in future all Sri Lankan Students who are applying for Foreign Medical Faculties should have atleast three C,B or A Passes for the Subjects Physics,Maths,Biology and Chemistry.

He also said that there is a large comparison on the Medical Knowledge and the quality of the  Local Medical Students when compared to the Foreign Medical Graduates and the Authorities are trying to abolish the Act 16 examination of the the foreign medical  Graduates to  enable them to recruit for the Government Hospitals directly.

Shanties In Colombo City Becomes The Distribution Center Of TB To The Nation?

Health Minister Maithrepala Sirisena has said that the Shanties and the temporary huts located in the City of Colombo are became the distribution center of the diseasse Tuberculosis(TB) to the whole country.Minister has said that due to this situation it will become hard to eradicate the Tuberculosis known as TB from the Island.

He made these remarks at the South East Asian Tuberculosis Eradication Programme held in Colombo Yesterday.

Emergancy Drug Purchases To Be Restricted From Next March

Purchasing of Emergancy Drug Items for the Government Hospitals from Private Pharmacies reduced to 1 percent with the effect from Next March Health Minister Maithrepala Sirisena has announced today.Under the new restriction 99 percent of the Total Drug Supply for the Government Hospitals should be purchased through the normal tender procedure and the Emergancy Purchases popularly known as Local Purchases will be allow only if there is an urgent case Minister stressed.

According to the Health Minister this new restriction come in to effect to reduce the large sum of money spend for Local Pharmecies to buy higher price drugs under the label of an Emergancy Purchases.The Annual Audit Report of the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation IN 2008 has stated that the Expenditure on Emergancy Drug Purchases of the Corporation is higher then purchasing the Drugs through the normal Tender Procedure Minister has stated.

Not only the Government Hospitals the Medical Supplies Division and the State Pharmaceuticls Corporation too purchased the Drugs under the Emergancy Purchasing system during last few years spending large sum of Money he further added.Health Minister has revealed this at the Awards Ceremony organized for the Reproductive Journalists held in Health Education Bureau today.

Two UNP MP's Crossed Over To The Government Lost Their Party Membership

The Party membership of two senior United National Party MP's who Crossed over to the Government to support the 18th Consttitutional Amendment are cancelled the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinha has announced short while ago.According to the UNP Leader MP's Lakshamn Senevirathna who is also the assistant secretary of the Party and  Earl Gunesekera lost their party membership due to their cross over.

The disciplinary action against the four other UNP MP'S is due to take shortly UNP Leader said.

UNP Working Commitee To Meet On This Saturday To Decide Party Convention

The working Commitee of the main opposition United National Party(UNP) is to meet this Saturday(18) to decide the date for the next Party Convention to discuss on the proposed Party Reforms UNP Media Spokesman Gyantha Karunathilake told this morning.

Addressing a Press briefing he has accepted that there is a delay of Implementing the Party Reforms.He further said that neither the Party leader Ranil Wickramasinha or Chief Opposition Whip received any letter from UNP Parliamentarians regarding sitting in Parliament as Independant Members as stated in Media Reports.

Twenty Five UNP MP's To Act Independantly

Twenty Five MP's belongs to the Main Opposition United National Party(UNP) will sit down in Parliament as an Independent Group if the UNP Leadership not taken any measures to solve the Leadership crisis of the Party within next weak UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekere has warned.According to the MP Jayasekere The Group of 25 UNP MP's will act as an Independent group if the party leadership turned blind eye on their demand and stressed the group will not support the Government at this stage at any cost.

The Group of Parliamentarians also urged the UNP Leader Ranil Wickramasinha to appoint the Hambanthota District MP Sajith Premedasa as the UNP Leader and created a Senior Partly leader post withing the Party for him.

Cuban Made BTI Bacteria Arrived

A Ship  carrying Ten Thousand liters of  Cuban Made BTI Bacteria arrived in Colombo Harbor this morning according to the Health Ministry sources.This Bacteria is scheduled to be testify at a selected place in Kandy during next weak before  using it for the National Dengue Control Programme.BTI Bacteria is used to destroy the Dengue Mosquito Larvae .

A spokesman to the Ministry of Health says that this Cuban Made BTI Bacteria will be introduced to the National Dengue Control Programme if it proves successful during the trial along with the locally made BTI Bacteria.Meanwhile the Locally made BTI Bacteria already confirmed as successful after it used for a trial last weak.A test report on local Bacteria is scheduled  to be hand over to  the Director of the Anti Malaria Campaign tomorrow by the researchers attached to the Medical Research Institute(MRI).The report will handover to the Health Minister by next Monday.

160,000 Non Esssential Syringer Needles Expired At The Government Stores

Medical Supplies Division(MSD) removed 160,000 expired Hypordermic Syringer Needles belongs to 24 G Type which expired within the MSD Stores it has been revealed.According to the Government Hospitals Sources these Syringer Needles are used in low quantity at these Hospitals and branded them as Non Essential Surgical Item.

This stock of Needles which are imported more then the required amount was expired on last February according to the MSD Sources.

 The previous Administration of the Medical Supplies Division imported around 3.6 Million Syringer Needles this kind to the Government Hospitals through the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation and stored in the Supplies Division Stores according to the Sources.As these Needles branded as non essential Item for the Government Hospitals medical experts raised the question why the Supplies Division stored a Stock of these Needles sufficient for 39 Month Period as the Space of the stores narrowing due to this stock to store essential Drug Items.

Bakers Association To Increase The Price Of Bread

Sri Lanka Bakers Association warns that the price of a Loaf of Bread  will goes up by Rs.3 due to the higher cost they have to pay to buy 50 Killo Wheet Flour Bag.The Association said that the Government has reduced the Rs.225 Concession offered for them when buying 50 Killo Wheet Flour Bag by reducing it to Rs.75.Therefore the Price of the  Killo of Wheet Flour increased by Rs.3 and need to increase the Bread price due to the situation the Association stressed.

Mervyn Re Appointed For The Deputy Minister Post

Former Deputy Highways Minister Mervyn Silva who was charged for tying a Government Servant To a Tree weak's ago is re appointed for the Post short while ago Government has announced.The Deputy Minister was free from the charges leveled against him when he appeared before an Inquiry Committee appointed by the President.

President removed the Deputy Minister 's Portfolio and the post of the Party Organizer soon after he was charged for harassing the Government Servant.

UNP Suspended The Party Membership Of Six MP's Crossed Over To The Govt.

The Main Opposition UNP has decided to suspend the party membership of Six of their MP's who were crossed over to the Government Bench this evening and voted in favor of the 18th Amendment.UNP Working Committee is to meat soon and decide the disciplinary action against the Six MP's Lakshaman Seneviratne,Earl Gunesekere,Upeksha Swarnmalee,Nimal Wijesinha,Abdul Carder and Manusha Nanayakkare most probably  the cancellation of their Party Membership

18Th Amendment Passed With More Then Two Thirds Majority

Much debated 18th Constitutional Amendment was passed with more then two thirds majority at the Parliament this evening at the time  the Main Opposition United National Party Parliamentarians boycotted the house proceedings.One hundred sixty one votes received in favor of the Amendment while Seventeen voted against.

Besides the One hundred Forty four Government MP's Sixteen Opposition Members including of Six UNP and Eight Sri Lanka Muslim Congress MP's were voted in favor of the Amendment.

The salient feature of today's Parliamentary debate on the Amendment was the cross over of the Six UNP Parliamentarians to the Government Bench just few hours before the voting take place.The Cross Over MP's were Lakshman Senevirathne,Earl Gunesekere,Actress Upeksha Swarnamalee,Manusha Nanayakkare,Abdul Carder and Nimal Wijesinha.Earlier they stated that they will supported the Government to pass the Amendment while remain in the Party.

The Passed Amendment now scheduled to be gazetted soon to become a law.

Main Opposition Party Boycotted The Debate On The Amendment

As the Government says they are having the support of at least around 160 MP's to pass the 18th Amendment including 16 of the Opposition MP's, the main Opposition UNP has decided to boycott the Parliament session today as a mark to opposing the proposed Amendment.The majority of the UNP MP's boycotted the proceedings this morning and participated the street protest organized against the Amendment.

Meanwhile adding fuel to the Government the popular tele drama acctress Upeksha Swarnamali popularly known here as Paba who got elected from the opposition UNP yesterday meet the president and expressed her support to the Government on the Amendment.

18th Amendment Presented To The Parliament

The 18th Constitutional Amendment was presented to the Parliament by the Government this morning despite the Strong opposition  of the Opposition Parties.The Amendment which removes the restriction imposed by the present Constitution(1978 Constitution) towards   President  which says a President only able to  hold the post  twice.The Appointments,Transfers and removals of the Government Service earlier vested to the Public Service Commission now vested to the President and the Cabinet under the new Amendment.

Main Opposition  United National Party(UNP) and Janatha Wimukthi Peramuna(JVP) along with Democratic people's Alliance and the Tamil National Alliance decided to act aginst the Amendment saying it is an unconstitutional and pave a way to dictatorship.

Meanwhile majority of the main Opposition UNP Parliamentarians launched a Street Protest from their Headquaarters Sirikotha to the Parliamentary premises this eve and faced a road block from t he Police on their way.Opposition leftist party JVP along with Democratic people's Alliance and the Tamil National Alliance are decided to participate the debate on the proposed Amendment which is now proceeding at the Parliament.The Voting for the Amendment is scheduled to held around 7 P.M Sri Lankan time and two third majority is needed to passed the Amendment as recommended by the Supreme Court.

18th Amendment Introduced To The Parliament

The Much debated 18th Amendment was introduced to the House as an emergancy Act by the Prime Minister D.M Jayaratna this morning despite the protests of the Opposition MP's.Speaker Chamal Rajapaksha announced the Supreme Court Judgment on the Amendment to the parliament which says that the Amendment is prepared according to the Constitution

While announcing the decision Supreme Court also stated that the two third majority is enough to pass the proposed Amendment and there's no need for a referrendum to seek people's madate for it.

Government last weak handedover the proposed amendment to the Supreme Court to check it's validity with the Constitution.The amendment is to take for a debate tomorrow morning and voting is scheduled to be held in the evening..

While A Section Of Buddhist Clergy Opposing The Amendment Few Unper's To Support It

As the much  debated 18th Constitutional Amendment is to be  presented to the Parliament in two days time a section of Buddhist Clergy clearly opposing the Amendment as the Government planned to pass the Amendment as an emergency Act.

Even some of the Chief Incumbents clearly stated that this is a great threat to the Democracy of the Country.Meanwhile the Opposition MP's who supported the Amendment said another Five MP's of the Main Opposition United National Party(UNP) will vote with the Government when the voting is held on Wednesday.

TNA To Vote Against The Amendment

Tamil National Alliance(TNA) today decided to vote against the 18th Amendment which is to be presented to the Parliament in this Wednesday.TNA said the main reason behind their decision is that the proposed Amendment affects the rights of Minorities in the Country.

Government Leftist Parties To Support The 18th Amendment

The leftist Parties attached to the Government decided today to vote for the proposed 18th Amendment on 08th of September despite of some  disagreements they have on the Amendment.Earlier the leader of the Democratic Leftist Movement Vasudeva Nanayakkara stressed his party is opposing the proposed Amendment.

President To Continue Contesting Elections Till Forwarding A Strong Opposition Candidate

President Mahinda Rajapaksha told the Media heads this evening that he will contest for the Future Presidential Elections till the Opposition has forwarded a Strong Candidate against him.Addressing a special briefing for the Media Heads held at Temple Trees President stressed that there will be not much opposition for the proposed 18th Amendment.

Leftist Parties To Announced Their Decision On 18th Amendment Today

Leftist Parties are due to announced their decision on whether to support or oppose the 18th Constitutional Amendment today.According to the Leader of the Democratic Leftist Movement Vasudeva Nanayakkara his Party and the Lanka Samasamaja Party (LSSP) attached to the Governing Party already have decided their cause of action and the Communist Party attached to the Government is due to announced their decision today.

The decision of the Tamil National Alliance is also scheduled to be announced today.The Parliamentary Debate and the voting on the proposed 18th Amendment is due to held in this Wednesday(08).

Opposition Leader Off To India

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinha yesterday arrived Chennai India to meat the South Indian Politicians.Opposition Leader is to stay in India two days.

Four UNP Parliamentarians To Loose Their Party Membership

The main opposition UNP has decided to remove four of their Parliamentarians due to expressed their support on the 18th Amendment proposed by the Government.UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake announced yesterday that the Party has decided to removed UNP Parliamentarians Lakshamn Senevirathna,Earl Gunesekaera,Manusha Nanayakkara and Abdul Carder.According to the Secretary this action will taken according to the decision taken at the recently concluded Working Committee M eating of the Party.

UNP already decided to take disciplinary action against the Party members who are going to vote with the Government when the 18th Amendment presented to the Parliament on 08th of this month.

Main Opposition With Leftist Parties Formed A Movement Against The 18th Amendment

A group of Main Opposition United National Party(UNP) joined with Several Leftist parties to form a Movement Against the 18th Amendment .The Movement is decided to hold a Protest Campaign infront of the Borella Junction on 08th of September the day the proposed 18th Amendment is taking into debate in Parliament.The Movement against the 18th Amendment announced the 08th of September as Back Day.

Three Opposition Members To Support Government To Passed The 18th Amendment

Bringing the Opposition into chaos  Three  Parliamentarians of the main opposition United National party(UNP) yesterday  pledged their support to the Government to pass the much debated 18th Amendment to the Constitution when it presented to the Parliament on 08th of September.The Parliamentarians Deputy Chairmen of The UNP elected from Badulla District Lakshman Senevirathna,Pollonnaruwa District MP Earl Gunesekera,and Galle District MP Manusha Nanayakkara were announced that they will vote with the Government to passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution which allows to removed the restrictions imposed by the present Constitution towards a President cannot contest for the Presidency more then two occasions.

Main Opposition UNP already decided to vote against the Amendment along with the leftist Janatha Wimukthi Peramuna(JVP).

Using Of Locally Made BTI Bacteria To Destroy Dengue Mosquito Larvae Bagan

Using of Much waited locally made BTI Bacteria to destroy Dengue Mosquito larvae began today at Pre Cast Yard of the State Engineering Corporation at Colombo with the presense of Health Minister Maithrepala Sirisena.At the event the Locally made BTI Bacteria was used to destroy Dengue Mosquito larvae bread in the place.

According to the Ministry Of Health it spends Rs.4 million to purchase 15,000 litres of BTI Bacteria from the Industrial Technology Institute in Colombo where the Bacteria has developed and plan to use the Bacteria in the selected areas throughout the Island.

Speaking at the Occasion Dr.Radhika Samarasekere who developed the BTI Bacteria by using the technology used by Cuba to produce the same Bacteria said according the Two Projects done by her using the Bacteria to destroy Dengue Mosquito Larvae proved succesful and she has no doubt that using it to the Dengue breeding place will make positive results.

Health Minister Maithrepala Sirisena who was present at the occasion said the using of the locally made Bacteria to curb Dengue menace is a Historical Event as it is a Local product.

Shell Gas Reduced Their Gas Price

One of the two Gas Comapnies functioning in Sri Lanka the laugfgas reduced the price of their 12.5 KG Gas cylinder by Rs.46 wuth the effect from midnight Yesterday(31).According to the price reduction the Laugfs Gas cylinder price now stands as Rs.1593.The Most used Gas Cylinder of 12.5 KG Shell Gas price remains as Rs.1692.