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One mother’s fight for a safe delivery: What it’s like to give birth in Lanka right now
(UNFPA) When Ruchika found out she was pregnant with her second child in October last year she felt confident that she knew what to expect. Nine months later, she spent the day before her due date in a fuel queue pleading with an army officer and restless crowds so she could buy fuel to get to the hospital the next day and give birth.
“The majority of the crowd was sympathetic,” Ruchika says. “The authorities allowed me to buy the fuel I needed after examining my medical documents to confirm my situation but there were still a few who were shouting at us.”
Before the crisis, 99 percent of deliveries in Sri Lanka took place at healthcare facilities. A lack of public or private transport due to the economic crisis will risk thousands of women being unable to get to a hospital or clinic in time. Ruchika made it to the hospital the next day but fuel was not the only struggle she faced to bring her baby safely into the world.
Two months before her due date, Ruchika saw a post online from a woman who was asked by a state hospital to bring her own gloves, blades and other basic materials needed for her delivery. “The hospital had run out and had no way to replenish their stocks,” Ruchika says. “I immediately called my doctor and asked about the availability of supplies and if I needed to make preparations as well.”
Ruchika saw a post online from a woman who was asked by a state hospital to bring her own gloves, blades and other basic supplies needed for her delivery.
“’We have the equipment for now,’ is what he told me,” she recalls. “But he couldn’t give me any assurances about what the situation would be in two months when my baby was due. I was worried about how bad things would get so I asked my doctor twice if my baby could be delivered safely even if it was two months early.”
The doctor refused saying the risk to the baby’s health was too high to consider inducing. “He assured me that as long as I got to the hospital in time he would make sure we were both healthy but even that was such a struggle. The week before my delivery my husband asked about my doctor’s fuel status because we’d heard so many stories of doctors and nurses not being able to report to work because of the fuel crisis.”
“We’d heard so many stories of doctors and nurses not being able to report to work because of the fuel crisis.”
Ruchika’s four-and-a-half-year-old daughter got sick the week her new baby was born and they had to go to six pharmacies to find the nebulizer needed to treat her asthma. Weeks after giving birth, Ruchika is past the date when her stitches were meant to be removed. She is waiting for her doctor to let her know when she can come in as he is required to save the limited fuel he has to travel only when one of his other patients goes into active labour.
An estimated 215,000 women like Ruchika are currently pregnant in Sri Lanka and 145,000 will give birth in the next six months. Approximately 60,000 of these women may require surgical intervention.[3] As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA is on the ground working to meet the critical health and protection needs of the most vulnerable women and girls.
UNFPA is providing supplies, medication and cash and voucher assistance for pregnant women to have a safe pregnancy and childbirth. On protection services UNFPA is keeping shelters open with expanded services so more women have a safe space to turn to while providing life-saving medication for women and young people.
Together with its partners, UNFPA will continue to support the life-saving health and protection needs of women and girls during the socio-economic crisis while strengthening institutional capacities to respond to public health emergencies.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
