News
President visits biggest Emergency Facility for Covid patients at Seeduwa
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa inspected the Army improvised new Intermediate Care Centre (ICC) cum Hospital with 1,200 beds for Covid-19 patients at Seeduwa on Tuesday.
The President visited this biggest Emergency Facility at the invitation of General Shavendra Silva, Head of the National Operation Centre for Prevention of Covid-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army.
With three large wards, the facility was collectively improvised in less than 10 days by several Army regiments, including differently-able war heroes, as a result of the generosity of Ashroff Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Brandix Group, who gave the premises to augment efforts to treat Covid patients.
The project, backed by the Army Seva Vanitha Unit (ASVU), is equipped with all vital health facilities, such as a state-of-the-art emergency treatment unit, isolation sections, resuscitation units, ICU, medical stores etc.
It is also the first of its kind in Sri Lanka that came up within such a short time span on an initiative taken by the Head of NOCPCO to face any contingency in the wake of the third Covid-19 wave in the country.
President Rajapaksa was received on arrival at the facility by the architect of the project, General Shavendra Silva. Accompanied by Defence Secretary, General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne, Health Secretary, Major General (Retd) Sanjeewa Munasinghe and Director-General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena inspected the different sections in the new care centre.
The President also shared his thoughts with medical experts present at the venue and inquired into certain aspects before he leaving the premises.
COVID-19 patients who cannot be practically taken care at home, but who do not show serious symptoms are to be treated in this facility to enable medical staff to treat patients in critical condition. Medical services at the facility will be provided jointly by the Ministry of Health and Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps.
“In keeping with this emergency need, the Army immediately initiated an island-wide search for suitable locations and buildings. Security Forces at all regional levels were busy improvising new places to serve as Intermediate Care Centres or Hospitals for Covid-19 treatment as existing capacities in government hospitals are already overwhelmed”, General Shavendra Silva told the media.
“We expect to open the state-of-the-art care centre shortly in Seeduwa with the objective of giving the best emergency healthcare to affected Sri Lankans free of charge”, he added.
Mrs. Chithrani Gunarathne, Chairperson, MoD Seva Vanitha Unit, Mrs Sujeewa Nelson, President, Army Seva Vanitha Unit, Ashroff Omar, CEO, Brandix Group, Major General Udaya Perera (Retd) and Group Head, Administration, Brandix Group, were also present.
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
