News
Keheliya admits Health Ministry struggling to procure vital drugs
… insists he did not bypass President
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Health Minister Keheliya Rambulwella yesterday (28) said his Ministry was struggling to procure 153 medicines currently in short supply or out of stock in government hospitals despite the availability of a New Delhi credit line to buy the required medicines and surgical items from India.
Addressing the media at the Health Ministry auditorium, Rambukwella said that of the 384 medicines, 153 medicines were in short supply. However, thanks to a Chinese grant of USD 28 mn, Sri Lanka had been able to procure all 14 life-saving drugs, Minister Rambulwella said, appreciating the swift assistance provided by the international community, as well as lending agencies.
Flanked by senior officials of the Ministry including Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena, Minister Rambukwella acknowledged that in a bid to speed up the process, the Ministry even accepted unsolicited bids.
Kandy District MP Rambukwella responded to allegations made by the media and Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), Pubudu Jagoda about the planned procurement of medicine from Kausikh Therapeutics (Pvt) Ltd., in violation of procedures in place.
Responding to the specific allegation that Minister Rambukwella had bypassed President Ranil Wickremesinghe, by going ahead with the procurement of medicine, through Kausikh Therapeutics (Pvt) Limited outside tender procedures, the Health Minister insisted that there was absolutely no basis for such accusations.
When The Island pointed out that President Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance Minister had approved the procurement of 500,000 doses of Enoxaparin sodium injection from M/s Gland Pharma Ltd, India subject to the submision of a valid NMRA (National Medicine Regulatory Authority) approval, Minister Rambuwella said that nothing had been finalised yet.
At the beginning of the media briefing, Minister Rambukwella declared that of what had been reported so far on the issue at hand, 90 percent was false. The lawmaker alleged that the whole process had been tarnished due to what he called deliberate and malicious reportage of the medicine procurement process.
The Minister also denied accusations that Kausikh Therapeutics (Pvt) Limited paid for his stay in India. Rambukwella maintained that he paid for his air tickets, as well. Responding to a barrage of accusations, the Minister defended his decision to visit India in the middle of the procurement process.
Lawmaker Rambukwella said that he undertook the visit to India after having met Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay to secure his government approval to extend the time to complete health sector procurement. Of some USD 200 mn allocated for the health sector, approximately USD 20 mn remained, and President Wickremesinghe made available an additional USD 35 mn for the same purpose, lawmaker Rambukwella said. As such a task couldn’t be completed before the end of this year, Indian HC Baglay’s intervention was sought to obtain the necessary approvals, thereby securing time till March to complete the process, Minister Rambukwella said.
He and the Health Ministry team admitted that in spite of vigorous efforts, they couldn’t secure the required supplies, since April. Responding to media queries, Minister Rambukwella said that the NMRA had responded positively to the challenging situation, during the past six months, though he was not unhappy with the way the institution addressed the issues at hand. Minister Rambukwella alleged that there had been deliberate delays on the part of the NMRA and, in some instances, the institution took more than a year to process one file. There had been many cases of disappearances of files sent to the NMRA, the Minister alleged.
The Island
asked Minister Rambukwella whether medicines intended to be procured from Kausikh Therapeutics (Pvt) Limited were among 153 medicines, in short supply, or not available at all. The lawmaker explained that in terms of the agreement with India, the entire USD 200 mn made available for medicine, as part of the USD 1 bn loan, had to be spent on Indian manufactured medicine. Of the 28 medicines offered by Kausikh Therapeutics (Pvt) Limited, the Health Ministry selected 13 items as they were priced below the price Sri Lanka paid last when those items were procured, the Minister said. As regards the remaining items, negotiations had to be conducted, lawmaker Rambukwella said, insisting that the crisis wouldn’t be allowed to be exploited to suit anyone’s agenda.
Minister Rambukwella pointed out that he quite openly admitted the crisis situation in hospitals as a result of continuing shortages. “I never tried to hide facts,” lawmaker Rambukwella said, accusing FSP’s Jagoda of propagating lies.
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
