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Pavithra praises medical administrators
Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi on Friday said that the medical administrators had been the pillars of her strength and helped her fulfil duties as the Minister of Health. She thanked them for their contributiong to mitigating the ill-effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing the 27th Annual Scientific Sessions of College of Medical Administrators of Sri Lanka, the Minister said: “It is my pleasure to mention your contribution to mitigating the current pandemic despite your routine medical administrative duties. I mention proudly that with your support we have been able to provide all essential services while attending to control COVID-19.”
Extracts of her speech: It gives me an immense pleasure to address the inauguration ceremony of the 27th Annual Scientific Sessions of College of Medical Administrators of Sri Lanka. I was determined to be here considering the importance of this subject to the Ministry of Health and I wanted to honour this prestigious college for inviting me.
Sri Lanka’s health sector is internationally renowned as a people-oriented health system. Despite being a medium income country, we are providing healthcare free to the persons who seek care. I emphasise that such a great health sector is run by a group of capable medical administrators at various levels. It may be a policy level at the Health Ministry, director of a tertiary care hospital or a medical superintendent in a base hospital, you all medical administrators are working hard and contributing your best to our health system.
Also, it is my duty to mention and appreciate all the medical administrators who have been working tirelessly to make our health sector successful and for taking this system to the status we are entertaining today.
You are my pillars of strength and have helped me fulfil my duties as the Minister of Health.
I would like to request all the medical administrators that as we have achieved many health goals, indicators and targets, to focus their attention to the quality of our services. I expect all health institutions to be people-friendly hospitals and all workers under your supervision to be kind to all those who come and seek care from their respective hospitals or health institutions. I emphasise that quantity and quality should go together in equal measure.
I look forward to very effective, carefully developed plan for improving your own areas for the next year after a comprehensive analysis of your gaps. I have no hesitation to extend my blessing and support to yield good impact in every district, bringing new essence of quality health services.
With your support, we should be able to establish centres of excellence in each and every province. Also, we should not forget about universal health coverage, giving healthcare close to home upgrading all the health institutions at the basic grass root level. We must build the faith in our general public that their basic health needs are attended in their local area itself, without travelling many miles to the next level of care. Let us build and improve further, an accessible by all health care, keeping with the concept of “Leaving No One Behind”.
You are the leaders of your responsible sectors and other subordinates are following you. Therefore being example to others is a compulsory thing which should be showcased by heads of institutions.
I am happy to note that distancing has been attended in arranging this event and I expect that until the closure of the event you will adhere to universal health precautions throughout. Despite a situation of pandemic, I congratulate the President and the Council of this prestigious college for arranging this important annual event. I suppose all administrators will gain good knowledge, develop attitudes and this will be a forum to share your best practice. This kind of exposure will lead to improvement of your leadership qualities and will contribute to further improvement of our health sector.
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
