News
Hospitals overloaded with diabetes patients
Hospitals in Sri Lanka are being overwhelmed by a huge wave of Diabetes and Diabetes-related cases. It seems that many people, usually over the age of 40, are consuming sugary foods and carbohydrates and getting not enough exercise, leading to insulin resistance.
They become ill. Go to any hospital, islandwide, and it is the same story, rooms and hallways jammed packed with people lying on beds.They become ill, then government hospitals are expected to repair the damage. The taxpayer has to foot the bill – pay the costs of treatment.
Businessmen are profiting from this system by offering sweets, cakes, biscuits, etc. They are profiting from the bad eating habits of Sri Lankans.But this remedial treatment costs the government much money. The cost of running a hospital; providing medicine and doctors and staffcare, is hugely expensive. Now, the price of insulin is very high and it is sometimes not available to patients in need.
The question must be asked – how can this flood of diabetes cases be reduced to save the government money?
Not only is the treatment expensive, but also this disease is ruining healthy people’s lives. Added to that, there is a loss in happiness – they are not working, earning money and going out, enjoying themselves.
Diabetes progresses; it develops. In time, feet can turn black, eyes swell and blindness follows. Heart attacks are common and so is dementia, cardio-vascular disease, ‘stroke’ incidences increase. Because feet become swollen and distorted this prevents people from walking properly.It is as if Sri Lankans are indifferent to this disease – to the point when they need treatment for their eyes – but then it is too late.
Eminent U.S. Medical doctors tell how sugar damages our mitochondria, but in a less sever way but with the same effect as, suppose, we eat cyanide. But people do not know this!
The government need to take this issue seriously, even if the people do not. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 people die of Diabetes and other Insulin Resistant causes each year. This is a huge number, just to support a sugar industry. The government must treat it as they did for smoking prevention.
Colourful images of seriously decayed people with diabetes are needed to be displayed on the labels of fizzy drinks bottles. They can be placed in cake stores, and so on. Public awareness of this issue needs to be raised.
People need to change their lifestyle. People get out of shape. Towns need to be more user friendly. Overloaded busses, in the evenings, are a problem. Struggling to catch the last bus at 5.00pm is stressful. People should be served by a sufficient bus service, allowing them to be relaxed, fit and healthy.
It is a matter for the leaders of society to take the lead in raising public awareness. Local government institutions should build jogging tracks. Some countries set up sports halls for people to have fun and go trampolining and obstacle course rope climbing. When other nations do this for their citizens, why not here?
Priyantha Hettige
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
