German National Drowns In Hikkaduwa Sea

A 74 year old German National was found dead after  drowning in the Sea at Hikkaduwa Area yesterday(26) evening.the victim Berns Matias was married to a Sri Lankan Woman and lives in Hikkaduwa according to the police.

The postmortem of the deceased was conducted at Karapitiya Hospital today(27).

Members Of 50 Government Trade Unions Are To Stage A Massive Protest Campaign In Colombo

Members belongs to around  50 Government Trade Unions including Unions of Professions Supplementary To Medicine,Nursing,Minor Staff,Bank Officers,Postal,Teachers ,University Teachers , Railways and student movements are due to stage a massive protest campaign in front of the Fort Railway Station in Colombo this Wednesday(28) against the decision on reducing the study period of allied health sciences degree  and assaulting of allied health sciences degree students.

The protesting trade union activists and students are due to walk towards the fort railway station from Colombo National Hospital premises at 1 p.m on Wednesday and due to reach fort station at 2  p.m according to the secretary of Joint Council Of Professions Supplementary To Medicine Mr.Saman Jayasekera.

The protesting trade unions are demanding authorities to stop reducing the study period of allied health sciences degree from 4 years to 3 years and stop assaulting allied health sciences degree students."the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) is  responsible for reducing the study period of the degree" Saman Jayasekera has stressed.

Brawl At The Health Ministry-Health Secretary Hit And Chased Out The Media Officer After Sacking Him

The sacked Media Officer of the Ministry Of Health D.Wanninayake was hit and chase out from the health secretary's office  by the out going Health Ministry Secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake when media officer went to him per Dr.Jayathilake's request on last Friday (23) evening Health Ministry Sources have revealed.the health secretary has also informed the audit to probe  on the media officer wanninayake the way he has earned millions of rupees  as commissions through the fraud tender deals over the past few years sources added.

Out Going Health Secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake who is due to be appointed as the new secretary of the economic development ministry has scolded  media officer wanninayake heavily last Friday evening at the health secretary's office by accusing  him that he has exposed information to the media on several corrupt tender deals in the ministry which both of them were involved in.when  the media officer tried to defend him self by saying that he had nothing to do with the media reports the angry health secretary hit and chased him out of the office after handing over his removal letter sources said..d.wanninayake who was served as the media officer in the health ministry for 9 long years although he was released to the ministry for 2 year period is due to return to the information department.

As the media officer was sacked from his post over his involvement in fraud tender deals ,health secretary too was removed from the office over the same offence and he is due to move to accept his new portfolio as the secretary of the economic development ministry soon by replacing the treasury secretary Dr.P.B Jayasundera,

Health Secretary And The Media Officer Who were Involved In Corrupt Tender Deals Have Removed From Their Posts

The Health Ministry Secretary Dr.Nihal Jayathilake  and the media officer of the Ministry D.Wanninayake whose names have been mentioned in related to most of the corrupt tender deals of  Health Ministry in recent times set to be  removed from there posts with immediate effect. media officer Wanninayake has already been removed from his post with effect from yesterday according to the reliable sources. 

The former media officer who has removed from his post in the health ministry yesterday  too involved in most of the corrupt tender deals reported from the ministry and received huge sums of money as commissions  from some corrupted drug companies for supporting them  till the date he has been removed sources said.Besides his involvement in corrupt tender deals,Dr.Jayathilake who has   just returned from Geneva,Switzerland after attending the Health Assembly of The World Health Organization(WHO) has been criticized by the Nurses Unions and the Government Midwives Union over his controversial decisions taken regarding the midwifery training issue of Nurses.

 However there are reports that Dr.Jayathilake is to assume duties as the new Treasury Secretary replacing the current secretary Dr.P.B Jayasundera . Dr.Jayasundera is to leave his post  due to the influence of government minister and the leader of National Democratic Front Wimal Weerawansha who is criticizing the economic policies adapted by Dr.Jayasundera..

The current secretary of the Ministry Of Plantations Mrs.Sudharma Karunaratne is due to be appointed as the new secretary of the Ministry Of Health sources have added.

Head Of The Drug Evaluation Committe Has Arrived The Monthly Meeting Under Heavy Alcohol Influence.....

The Chairman of the National Drug Authority who is a doctor and also  head of the drug evaluation committee has attended monthly  Drug Evaluation Committee meeting held last Tuesday (20) under a heavy alcohol influence and behaved an unusual way in front of the participants the  health ministry sources revealed.

According to the sources as the head of the committee he should have behaved well during the meeting as the agenda is on drugs imported and distributed to hospitals here,but he has not only drunken also spoke to the intellectual members of the drug evaluation committee without any respect.

Some of the intellectuals participated that meeting have complained the Director General Of Health Services Dr,Plaitha Mahipala on the incident  in the same day.

Around 20 members of the committee including professors,doctors and specialists on Pharmacology have attended the said meeting according to ministry sources.the Drug Authority Chairman has purposely violated the code of conduct on government service sources have added.the said Chairman Doctor was known as involved in many of the fraud tender deals reported from the health sector.

Health Secretary And Some Health Ministry Officials Awarded The Cancer Injection Tender To A Highest Bidder Which Having Quality Problems

The Health Secretary Dr Nihal Jayathilake has involved in another tender fraud by handing over the tender for purchasing 1697 vials of Cancer Injections " Protein Bound Paclitaxal "  100 milli grammes to the  drug supplying company which produced the highest bid  instead of awarding the tender to the supplier produced the lowest bid.

According to the reliable sources the Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena who has just returned from Geneva ,Switzerland after attending the World Health Assembly had suspended the controversial tender last Wednesday(21)which costs the Health Ministry an extra amount of Rs.3.67 million  when compare with  the lowest bidder.also minister has instructed the director General Of Health Services Dr.Palitha Mahipala to conduct an inquiry   on this tender fraud.

However showing the latest developments of the war between  Health Ministry Officials, the Media Officer attach to the Health Ministry  has issued a press release today (22)stating that the Health Minister has not suspend any Tender Deal on purchasing Cancer Injection Vials.responding to the article published in a local national paper today , the media officer has said that the minister didn't suspend any tender deal .however he fails to provide enough evidence through the release to certify  that the minister himself admitted he has not cancel the tender.also the media officer did not reject that a  fraud has been occurred when handing over the tender to the highest bidder.

According to the Health Ministry Sources both Health Ministry Secretary and the Chairman of National Drug Authority have received Rs.1 Million each as luxurious commissions for handing over the tender to an Indian Drug Company which was selected to award the tender as a highest bidder.the media officer of the Health Ministry too has received commission money to his bank account through these fraud tender deals sources have added.

The samples of cancer injections produced by the said Indian Company too not up to the standard and even not thoroughly checked the sources said."these Health Ministry Officials are trying to play with the lives of thousands of  innocent Cancer Patients in the country for the sake of luxurious benefits they are gain from corrupt drug companies" a spokesman of the health ministry has said.

The Tender to award purchasing of "Paclitaxal Injections to be distributed to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital and other Cancer Units throughout the island was called as an International Tender  by both State Pharmaceuticals Company (SPC)and the Medical Supplies Division(MSD).the lowest bid was produced by an American Company who applied for the tender called by SPC and the quality of the injection samples they have produced are up to the required standard sources revealed,the said company has agreed to supply an injection vial per Rs.19,110 while the highest bidder an Indian Company  selected through the tender called by MSD has produced the price of their injections vials as Rs.38,500 and Rs.45,000.

Allied Health Sciences Degree Students Have Completed 150 Days For Their Protest

The Students attach to the  Faculty of Allied Health Sciences in Peradeniya University have today (22) completed 150 days for their continuous "Satyagraha" protest Campaign conducting   at Galaha Junction,Peradeniya, as a protest to reducing their degree study period from 4 years to 3 years .

As to show their  solidarity to the students   protest campaign a group of nursing officers attach to All Ceylon Nurses Union too joined the students "Satyagrha" today.

Meanwhile A group of  University Students attach to faculties of Allied Health Sciences have filed a human right violations petition before the human rights commission yesterday over the arrest of some of their students last week.

The allied health sciences degree students as well as most of the health trade unions have accused the Government Medical Officers Association(GMOA) for influencing University Grants Commission(UGC) to reduce the study period of their degr
ee programme to 3years from 4 years.