The Technical Evaluation Committee's Decision To Purchase 12 Essential Drugs For Higher Prices Cancelled

The Technical Evaluation Committee attach to  Ministry Of Health has planned to purchase 12 essential drug items for government hospitals on last September by spending  Rs.8.73 million more then the usual amount according to president of Health Services Trade Union Alliance(HSTUA) Saman Ratnapriya.the technical evaluation committee which meet 29th of September 2013 at the ministry has taken this decision, but due to the pressure of some health trade unions the committee has cancelled this decision he has revealed

The 12 essential drugs which the evaluation committee has decided to purchase for higher prices are  Sildenafil Tablets, Pediatric Paracetamol Oral Solution 120M/5ML ,Cefalexin Capsules BP 250MG, Hydrocortisone Tablets 10MG,Phrochloroperazine Tablets BP 5MG,Nalidixic Acid Tablets BP 250MG,Ibuprofen Tablets BP 200MG,Promethazine Injection BP25MG/5ML,Vancomycin Hydrochloride Injection 500MG,Glibenclamide Tablets BP 5MG,Captopril Tablets BP 25MG and Furosmide Injection BP/USP 20MG/2ML Ratnapriya has added.

"These drugs are including the list of 122 Drugs banned by Health Ministry three weeks back citing that they are in low quality .after banning those drugs Ministry Of Health has trying to purchase the 12 drugs mentioned earlier to avoid creating a drug shortage in government hospitals" HSTUA President has pointed out.however the ban imposed on 122 drugs supplied by five indian drug companies temporarily suspended last week by the ministry it self stating they are unable to find a quality drug suppliers in a hurry.

Six Hundrad Thousand Sri Lankans Are Living With Blindness And Half Blindness-Dr.Kodikara

Around 600,000 Sri Lankans are  found as living with  blindness and   half blindness(people with low vision)according to the president of Sri Lankan Ophthalmologists Association Dr.Ranjith Kodikara.out of this number 150,000 are living with blindness and 450,000 are having half blindness known as low vision he has said.

Also School Children numbering 160,000 are suffering from various kinds of eye disorders according to Dr.Kodikara.as eye disorders like cataract,glaucoma ,diabetic retinopathy,low vision and can lead to full blindness, people who are suffering from these eye disorders are advised to be seek medical advice and treatment from the nearest eye clinic in their residential areas .

The World Sight Day falls on this Thursday(10) and the main national programme to mark this event is scheduled to be held in Colombo Eye Hospital that day with a free eye clinic organized for people .

Retired Supreme Court Judge Vigneshwaren Has Took Oaths As Northen Provincial Council Chief Minister

The retired supreme court judge C.V Vigneshwaren has took oaths before  president Mahinda Rajapaksha this morning as the new chief minister of newly elected Northern Provincial Council.the oath taking ceremony was held in Temple Trees .

The new chief minister of Northern Provincial Council who has obtained the highest number of preferential votes  132,255 votes in Jaffna District  by contesting as the chief ministerial candidate of Tamil National Alliance(TNA)  has received his appointment letter on 01st Of October from the provincial council governor .

The Tamil National Alliance(TNA) has registered a landslide victory during the recently concluded Northern Provincial Council Elections by winning 30 out of 38 seats in the provincial council.there were rumors that Mr.Vigneshwaren  is due to  take oaths as new chief minister in a ceremony to be  conducted in Jaffna District.

Doctors Transfers Crippled ECT -ICU And Eye Clinic Of Krapaitiya Hospital

The Emergency Trauma  Center -Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Eye Clinic of Karapitiya Teaching Hospital  have been crippled due to the transferring  of doctors attach to these units without getting replacements according to hospital sources.Four out of Fourteen medical officers attach to Emergency Trauma Unit ICU and five anesthetists out of eight anesthetists attach to eye  clinic were transferred to other hospitals without any replacement hospital sources added.

Due to this situation the said ICU has not admitting any new patients to the unit and Eye Clinic has  crippled and  performing normal eye surgeries have been postponed.

The Vacant Director Post Has Crippled The Activities Of Anti Malaria Campaign

The activities of Anti Malaria Campaign have been crippled since 26th of September due to the   director  post been  fallen vacant   Anti Malaria Campaign sources said.

Besides  the  early retirement of   former director of the campaign Dr.Sarath Deniyage who was deceased last Friday  after retiring    from his post on 26th of September, the other most senior medical officer working at the campaign who is due to be appointed as acting director  too  left  the country  early last month for three months period paralyzing the activities of the campaign further sources added.

In addition other medical officers attach to Anti Malaria Campaign have been transferred to other hospitals or health institutions under the Annual Transfer Scheme and  there are no medical officers in the  campaign at present

Met Department Has Warned Thunder Showes With Strong Winds Will occur in many coastal araes

The meteorology department has today(05) issued  a warning stating that strong winds up to 80 kilo meters per hour assist with mini  showers or thunder showers  will be experienced  in deep shallow sea areas.according to the department showers or thunder showers will occurred in the shallow sea areas

Met Department has said that strong  winds  and thunder showers will occur in deep shallow areas extended from puttalam to Hambanthota via Galle and sea areas will be rough and dangerous during showers the department has revealed.

Sri Lankan Army Has Destroyed The Secret Underground Bunker Of LTTE Leader

Sri Lankan Army has demolished the underground bunker of slained  LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabakaren located in Pudukuduirippu in Northern Province.according to military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya the bunker was detonated and destroyed as it is useless to keep LTTE Monuments.the demining operations are being carried out in the area where the bunker has located he has further said.

The destroyed secret bunker has believed to be sheltered the LTTE leader as well as other top tiger leaders.

Twelve Indian Drug Companies To Be Banned After Bangaldeshi Made Drugs Are Available In Government Hospitals-Dr.Hemantha Beneragama

"After making arrangements to purchase required medicinal drugs directly from Bangladeshi Government, 12 Indian Drug Companies who are currently supplying drugs for Government Hospitals due to be banned in basis of supplying low quality drugs"the director of National Drug Authority Dr.Hemantha Beneragama has said today(04).

Addressing a press briefing held at Ministry Of Health this morning Dr.Beneragama has said that those Drug Companies due to be banned have found guilty of supplying low quality drugs to Sri Lanka however at present not able to ban them due to the difficulty of finding  another supplier immediately ."those drug companies including the four indian drug companies which were earlier banned even supplied some life saving drugs "he has revealed.those four indian companies which received concession by lifting the ban imposed on them few day back,  have supplying 122 drugs to Sri Lanka and out of these 116 drugs which are in good quality allow to use in government hospitals in temporary basis dr.beneragama has said.the remained six drugs which proved as in low quality were banned already he further added.

Meanwhile addressing the gathering Minister Of Health Maithripala Sirisena has said that the Bangladeshi Minister Of Health is due to arrive Sri Lanka shortly to sign a memorandum with Sri Lankan Government on supplying drugs to Sri Lanka."the Ministry Of Health is also examining the possibility of purchasing good quality drugs from government owned drug companies in Thailand as well as improving local production of  western drugs to assure the supplying of good quality drugs for Sri Lankan patients in future "he has further said.

Medical Supplies Division Has Instructed All Government Hospitals And Pharmacies To Re Issue 140 Banned Drugs

 The  Medical Supplies Division(MSD) has instructed all government hospitals and pharmacies through a special circular to re issue  140 drug varieties  which were withdrawn from government hospitals and pharmacies two weeks back citing they are in low quality the said circular has  been issued on 01st October.

The Health Ministry has even banned four Drug Companies supplied these drugs to hospitals and pharmacies and instructed authorities to purchase drugs from Bangladeshi Government directly.however  that programme has not yet implemented as well and  substitute drugs for the withdrawn drugs too not yet imported as planned health ministry sources said.

Among the drugs that were withdrawn from the hospitals two weeks back are drugs prescribed for major diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure ministry sources have added.soon after the stocks of the said drugs were withdrawn a drug shortage appeared in government hospitals ,hospital sources have revealed.

Millions Of Rupees Worth Lab Equipment And Chemicals In Hospital Path Labs Are In Decay And Prone To Be Stolen Due To Lack Of Storage Facilities

The millions of rupees worth Laboratory Equipments and chemicals supplied to Government Hospital Path Labs   are in decay and prone to be stolen  due to the limited storage facilities available in hospital labs to store them according to Sri Lanka Medical Laboratory Technology Officers Association.the association has also said that due to the limited number of space available to store these equipment and chemicals they have stored in an insecure manner .

In some of the government hospitals the space that can be used to store lab equipments and chemicals have been utilized by higher officials of the hospitals for their personal use association has revealed.

" Lab Equipment in some hospital path labs   were even stolen and the chief/senior medical laboratory technical officers who are in charge of path lab stores are the ones who became  victims on this and they  have paid a compensation from their salaries for such damages many times in the past "a senior member of the association Mr.Saman Jayasekera has said.as these chief medical laboratory technology officers have not received a special allowance for their duties like inventory officers who are in charge of other hospital stores the medical laboratory technical officers association has requested the health ministry to pay a special allowance for their officers also.

Also the association has informed the ministry to allocate enough space for storage facilities in path labs  on the newly built hospital buildings.

State ,Semi Government And Private Sector Employees To Launch A Strike By Demanding A Pay Hike

All the employees in State and Private sector of the country will be launched a joint  island wide strike and a protest campaign  by  the end of this month, if the government fails to give concessions to state and private sector employees including granting Rs,10,000 minimum salary increase for state sector employees and a minimum allowance of Rs.5000 for private sector employees through this years government budget the  Trade Unions Collective Of State,Semi Government and Private Sector Employee has said.

The educating of the employees in this regard will be held in two weeks time according to the one of the conveners of Trade Unions Collective Saman Ratnapriya.speaking at a press briefing held in Colombo this morning Ratnapriya has said that their Trade Unions Collective has informed the government in writing on 22nd of August this year that the  salary and allowance increments of state and private sector employees  should be given through the budget.

All Duplex Scan Tests In Vascular Lab Have Been Stopped Today (01) Due To The Absense Of The Technician

All the Duplex Scan tests  performed in Vascular Laboratory  of Colombo National Hospital to measure blood circulation system of patients have been cancelled today(01) as  only technician available in the lab was on sick leave  hospital sources said.as the scheduled scan tests were cancelled the patients who came for the scan tests today turned back home with empty hands sources revealed.

The affected Vascular Lab  is the only such lab situated in Colombo National Hospital and there should be a stand by technician in the lab if one is not reported  to work sources added.

However due to the single technician in the lab ,patients were asked to check tomorrow whether the technician is there or not before coming for the test it has been reported.meanwhile when contacted the director of National Hospital Dr.Anil Jasinha has said that he was  not aware on the situation of vascular lab as  no one brought this to his notice.

It was noticed that the room where vascular lab situated becomes a breeding place of mice according to a patient.