News
Medical community urges President to address immediate needs
The Presidents of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), Medical Professional Colleges and Associations (working in collaboration as SLMA Medical Intercollegiate Committee (SMIC) have written to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa urging him to address the acute shortage of essential medicines, reagents, equipment and consumables in government hospitals and the private healthcare sector.
Decisions have already been made to curtail some services such as routine surgical operations and even limit the usage of available material to life-threatening illnesses, the medical professionals have pointed out.
“This is not at all a sound policy becauuse what is considered non-emergency situations could turn into life-threatening problems within a few hours. In addition, this is not a sustainable policy and unless urgent replenishment of supplies is made, within a matter of weeks, if not days, emergency treatment will also not be possible. This will result in a catastrophic number of deaths, which is likely to be in excess of the combined death toll of COVID, tsunami and the civil war.”
The medical professionals have pointed out that health encompasses physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing of people. Therefore, they are greatly concerned about the shortages of food and essential paraphernalia for people to provide themselves with basic needs, such as nutrition, transport and electricity.
“We are also concerned gravely about the need to preserve fundamental rights and guarantee basic freedoms such as right to information as these encompass important aspects of mental and social wellbeing of a population,” they said.
Given below are excerpts of the letter: “We have identified how we, as a group of professionals, could extend our help to the authorities to overcome the crisis, and list them below.
1. We accept that the current crisis has no immediate solutions and are willing to extend our expertise, guidance and advice to you at this moment.
2. We have initiated discussions with our members on preservation of the existing stocks of medicines and consumables to last for as long as possible (which may be only a very short-term solution) by prudent use. We do appreciate that even patients having non-emergency and non-urgent illnesses require optimal care and withholding their treatment will pose medical and ethical problems for the doctors of the country.
3. We pledge to regularly meet and discuss with the ministers holding health related portfolios as well as your good self and provide guidance and advice to provide the most equitable distribution of severely restricted medical supplies.
In addition, we request your kind cooperation on the following aspects.
1. We urge you to discuss with ministers holding relevant portfolios, public officials such as Secretary to Treasury, Secretary Health and Governor of the Central Bank about securing funding to fulfill the basic needs of the hospitals and the National Immunisation Programme of the country. This is an urgent priority.
2. Whilst accepting the immediate crisis, we wish to know from you and relevant officials’ details of your plans to meet the exigencies related to health and wellbeing of the population. We request a clearly laid out road map with time frames to be provided at the earliest possible time. We can then in turn do our duty in reassuring the medical community as well as the general public that solutions to the pressing health and wellbeing issues are forthcoming.
We do accept that these are difficult times for you as well as all the citizens of the country. The need of the hour is to be truthful, compassionate and for you to use the country’s intellectual resources in the form of expert advice and guidance from professionals.
We in the medical profession stand firmly committed to doing everything possible to preserve the health and wellbeing of the people of Sri Lanka in this crisis. We do believe that you share our ideals and sentiments expressed regarding the health of the nation and its people.
Please be kind enough to grant us an urgent appointment to meet your Excellency with top officials of the Ministry of Health to discuss and develop a contingency plan. We will provide our fullest support to mitigate the crisis. We wish to thank you, in advance, for your most kind consideration of the contents of this communication.”
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
