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Health system’s capacity for crisis weakening at alarming rate: JVP

By Saman Indrajith
The country’s health system is on the verge of collapse as the hospitals are bulging at the seams with rapid increasing of COVID-19 patients, immediate future would be very bleak as the health system’s capacity of treating patients is weakened daily, said the JVP on August 19.
The immediate future would be very bleak as the health system’s capacity of treating patients is weakened daily, they said.
Addressing a press conference held at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP politburo member and former Kalutara District MP Dr Nalinda Jayatissa said that time has come to exert pressure on the government to take actions to prevent further deaths.
“We are at the threshold of the worst stage of the pandemic. As at noon today (19), the number of infected in the hospitals have exceeded 45,000 mark. This same situation was experienced in the US, India, Indonesia and Italy at the first wave of the pandemic. Their health systems collapsed as the number of patients exceeded the capacity of those systems. Not only the physical infrastructure including ICUs, oxygen and ventilators but also human resources – the hospital staff members including doctors, are not sufficient to meet the requirement. On the other hand, doctors and nurses are now infected. For example 28 staff members including eight doctors of the Homagama hospital have been infected. Of those eight doctors, four were attached to the ICU. As at Wednesday, 265 staff members including 27 doctors and 105 nurses of the National Hospital in Colombo were among the infected. Since the nursing staff members were infected, the hospital cannot maintain their duty shifts. As per countrywide reports, there were more than 200 doctors and 4,000 nurses infected. Around 40 PHIs and hundreds of para-medics and health supportive service staff members are infected by the virus.
“As of now several health assistant workers and doctors have lost their lives. The situation indicates that the immediate future would be very bleak as the health system’s capacity of treating patients is weakened daily. There are variants of the virus and mutated variants too among us. The government should take immediate action to close this country down. Instead of doing the right thing the government is doing what it wants to do. Even ten parties within the government have asked the President to go for a lockdown. The rulers have their children abroad and may think that nothing happening here would have an impact on them so they keep the country open. We are losing lives that could have been saved. We call on people to go for self-lockdowns without waiting for the government to declare lockdowns,” Dr Jayatissa said.
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US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development

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.”
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Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees

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.
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CIPM successfully concludes 8th Annual Symposium

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.