News
FSP warns brain drain will cripple healthcare even in urban centres
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Hospitals in Sri Lanka’s urban centres, too, will struggle to deliver healthcare as a large number of healthcare workers, from doctors to nurses, are leaving the country, says Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda.
Addressing the media, in Colombo, Jagoda said the dramatic increase in the PAYE tax, the drug and medical equipment shortages at hospitals, the general instability of the country, as well as the belief that there is no future in Sri Lanka, had contributed to the situation. “During the past few weeks, we have heard of disruptions to major hospitals in the country’s periphery. Soon, even the hospitals in our urban centres will be affected,” he said.
Jayagoda said that many hospitals ask patients, who have to undergo surgery, to purchase certain requirements from the private sector. These items, in general, cost about 15,000 to 20,000 rupees, he added.
“In the case of the Maharagama Apeksha Cancer Hospital, a lot of people are just expecting death because of medical shortages. Even at this juncture, the Minister of Health, Keheliya Rambukwella, and senior health officials, only care about making money. People are dying but they don’t care,” he alleged.
Jayagoda said that Sri Lanka imported an eyedrop called Prednisolone from an Indian company in Gujarat. It has been found that the eyedrop is causing allergies and side effects on many patients, he said.
“One patient has gone blind because of this eye drop. Now authorities have asked all hospitals not to use this drug. The letter has been sent to hospitals, on 02 May, but people started reporting complications from early April. It is obvious that there was no quality check when we started using this drug,” he said.
Jayagoda went on to say that Health Ministry laboratories had found that the eyedrop contained several germs. The laboratories had sent reports with proof that the drug is contaminated, on 10 April. However, until 02 May, the Health Ministry had not asked hospitals to stop using it, he said.
“Luckily, most doctors saw the side effects and stopped using the drug from the second week of April,” he said.
Sri Lankans are now facing three main issues with regards to medicine, Jayagoda said. One is the shortage of drugs and medical equipment.
“Second is that there are a lot of issues with the drugs available. There are many substandard drugs in the market and the government hospitals. The government tried to buy medicine from companies that are not registered with the NMRA. There were attempts to buy medicine from companies that were blacklisted by the NMRA. The third is the price of drugs,” he said.
The FSP Education Secretary added that despite the crisis, the Health Ministry is trying to embezzle money during medical purchases.
“The Ministry has called for a tender to purchase 2.5 million vials of Cefuroxime Sodium. This is a widely used antibiotic, and government hospitals need about 160,000 of these vials a month. All healthcare professional know that antibiotics must be of the highest quality because if a patient develops antibiotic resistance, he or she can even die. Six companies have applied for the above tender. The lowest bid was by a company that offered 19 cents U.S. dollars a vial. The second lowest bid was for 24 cents. But the tender is to be awarded to a company whose bid was 85 cents. We will spend 1.6 million U.S. dollars more if we buy from this company,” he said.
At a time when Sri Lanka is facing serious foreign exchange shortages, the Health Officials are draining our coffers, he said.
“Usually, a letter of credit is issued to the drug manufacturer. And it’s the drug manufacturer who is the bidder for the tender. There may be a local agent, but the bidder is the manufacturer. However, the company who bid 85 cents U.S dollars for the above-mentioned bid is not a drug manufacturer. This is a middleman who will buy from India and sell us the vials. So, this company will buy drugs from India for about 20 cents a vial and sell it to Sri Lanka keeping a margin of 65 cents U.S dollars. Who will take this cut? From what we know, this company is owned by a Sri Lankan,” he said.
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.
