Hurray for athletes! Stupidities still brazenly committed

Imagine! This tiny island in the Indian Ocean – ours – has won eight medals in all including three golds, two silver and three bronzes. One gold was for schoolgirl Tharushi Karunaratne in the 800 metres creating an Asian Athletics Championship record after 21 years when Susanthika J achieved that honour way back in 2002. The second gold went to the men’s 4×4000 metres relay and the third to the mixed relay team. The relay teams seem to be excellent, the women winning silver in their 4X400 metres. We are ranked fourth behind Japan (37 medals), India (27) and China (22).

This is a stupendous achievement and brought pure pride to the nation since we are so small in population numbers compared to China and India, to select athletes from; we are supposed to be a very poor, malnourished nation now; and from what one gathers from the media – associations such as athletics do not get sufficient funds nor even undiluted support from the powers that be. We have read of sports persons themselves of the less ‘prestigious’ kind of sport (not cricket most definitely) seeking – begging – sponsorship to enter overseas competitions.

From the sports gear the athletes wore we see that they were sponsored and most probably paid for by MAS – a truly generous establishment that gives where giving is most needed with no fanfare nor publicity for itself. Is it too presumptuous or forward of Cassandra to thank the Amalean family – true, generous philanthropists – who help such as athletes, deaf little ones and even the old – this last group of Colombo and with means – to get-together in various activities, as a generous gift to lonely bods.

Tragedies resulting from prescribed drugs

The editor of The Island hit the nail right on its head in inimitable fashion in his lead article on July 14 when he wrote, “The term ‘dangerous drugs’ has taken on a whole new meaning in this country… It looks as if substandard pharmaceuticals the Health Ministry procures by way of emergency purchases had to be bracketed with ‘dangerous drugs’ as they too destroy lives.” The irony of this situ is stunning. You go to hospital to get cured or else die a natural death. The latest unique Lankan trend is to kill those who enter hospitals with injections, eye drops etc., prescribed them. Cass may be hyperbolic but it is true counting the numbers who have thus died or suffered blindness.

It is far more than a coincidence and cannot be passed off as cases of allergy or even karma; or normal percentage deaths in hospitals. As usual, the ball of blame is shot off from the Minister to the drugs department that pre-tests imported drugs to be used in hospitals, clinics and sold in pharmacies. And who ultimately must bear the blame, admit responsibility? Why – obvious and simple. The Minister of Health is the man to take the blame and do the correct thing for once in his life and say twice in the history of the country: RESIGN his post. Resign because in any other country, even a banana republic, the Minister of Health would have resigned with so many deaths reported and traced to substandard imported medicines from pharmacy companies not in the approved list. What we hear and see behind all this is MONEY generated by CORRUPTION.

Maybe when you read this on Friday, He may have actually resigned. Doubtful?

Cass said second resignation since in her memory only one other minister resigned on principle holding onto what he believed in. Gamani Jayasuriya resigned his Cabinet post in protest against the signing of the Indo-Lanka Pact by Prez JRJ in 1987. He resigned as an MP in protest over the North East merger.

I don’t even want to mention the resignation of the Cabinet when President Gotabaya was ousted and Mahinda R was forced to resign as PM. That Cabinet withdrew just having to do so, and slunk to safety like dogs with tails tucked between legs.

The Island on Tuesday July 18 carried a very perceptive and detailed reference to the tragedy we are discussing by Prof Susirith Mendis titled: Medical negligence or medical error. They appear synonymous and end the same way – disaster and /or death of the patient. But there is a vital hair’s breadth distinction between the two which the professor adequately makes clear. He ends by suggesting to the medical fraternity: “Let these recent unfortunate and possible unavoidable deaths open us as medical professionals to a more humane and humanistic approach to patient care in Sri Lanka.” That is laudable and all will agree necessary because in this sphere too standards have deteriorated.

Commissions of Enquiry galore

Any significant query in Parliament is now, more often than not, answered with the reply: “A commission will be set up to inquire into the matter.” Appointments are made; they sit and deliberate (expense to the taxpayer); a report is produced; handed over with much media coverage and then … one never knows. The report probably languishes in some drawer. The enquirer or enquiring Party is by now otherwise busy and the public gone soporific as is its manner.

We have two such commissions as of now: on the imported drugs and deaths issue, and the other diverging into two since the govt appointed Commission Chair, particularly, was criticised as unacceptable and the Opposition set up its own Commission. This is to identify the causes of the country going bankrupt. Cass felt there was no need to study causes since even a primary school kid will rattle off who was guilty of sending Sri Lanka down the economic pallang. Cass blames governments as all do, and Gota’s more so, but she adds the people too as blameable. The majority race for their very psyche and behaviour: indolent, ever ready to stretch begging palms and corrupt or aiding and abetting corruption. Also for voting in those who should never hold power. Thus identifying the causes is a waste of time, which is just what the powers behind the government want.

What should be investigated is WHO drove this country with such potential to a penniless state heavily in debt and forced to beg for mercy from countries and international institutions. The guilty persons have to be identified, named, shamed and, many would shout out – beheaded.

Then could follow an investigation on HOW it was all done – in sections and pieces of course. The follow up should not only be due punishment but getting back all the stolen wealth. So much was stolen that lots must be deposited in foreign holdings or whatever.

 Will it; could it be done? Yes, definitely, but only if a statesman appears from among our 22 m population or even from the present Parliament. The hand of true honesty and uprightness, democratic justice , love of the mother country and fair play are what is needed. To spell it out differently a person of the caliber of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Cambridge educated eldest son of Singapore’s first PM, Lee Kwan Yew, is called for. Has Sri Lanka got such political sons? Oh my goodness, plenty! Already poised in the wings of power, some of them. But almost to a man diametrically opposite to the Singaporean who has recently allowed a Cabinet Minister to be given the rule of law prescribed treatment for taking a bribe.

Will such a day dawn for wonderful Sri Lanka? Could be!