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Presidential aide accuses trade unions of exaggerating brain drain
Presidential Director General (Community Affairs), Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday said several unions had exaggerated the number of professionals leaving the country.
Tennakoon said the number of medical officers who had obtained no-pay leave according to the Public Administration Circular No. 14/2022, or had not returned to work after obtaining no-pay leave or been released from the Ministry of Health, since 2021 stood at 289.
“This is the actual number of all medical specialists who received leave in the last three years. But the GMOA claims that over 270 specialists have left the country in a single year,” Tennakoon said.
Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, the Spokesperson of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said 842 Grade Medical Officers (Senior Medical Officers) had resigned and migrated during the past 12 months.
Tennakoon said: “This is also a falsehood. The actual number of medical officers who have left the service since 2021 2023 is 437. The number of medical officers who have tendered resignation is 149. Meanwhile, 934 have received foreign leave with no pay under the procedure mentioned in the Establishment Code and Public Administration Circular No. 14/2022.”
Tennakoon said 21 Dental Surgeons had left the service during the past three years. The number of resignations is 12. Another 39 Dental Surgeons had migrated after obtaining no-pay leave.
“The approved cadre of Nursing Officers is 45,367, out of which 42,253 are in service. During the period from 2021 to 31 August 2023, 557 Nursing Officers vacated their post; five have resigned. About 434 Nursing Officers have obtained no-pay leave under a formal procedure for foreign employment,” he said.
Tennakoon added that 2,574 Specialist Medical Officers (90.3 percent of the approved cadre of 2,851) were currently in service. He said about 20,907 of Medical Officers (92.8 percent of the approved cadres of 22,535) were in service, and 1,585 Dental Surgeons ((89.6 percent of the cadre of 1,769) were in the country. About 10 percent of vacancies had not been filled in the Health Sector, Tennakoon said.
“The highest number of vacancies in the health sector exists in Allied Health Services. There should be 1,103 Radiologists, but there are only 694 (62.9 percent of the cadre). There should be 58 Audiologists, but only 35 (60 percent of the cadre) are in service. There should be 2,306 Pharmacists, but there are (87.7 percent of the cadre of 2,022)).
Tennakoon said after the 1971 insurrection, 37 percent, 36 percent and 45 percent of the Medical Graduates produced in Sri Lanka in 1972, 1973 and 1974, respectively, migrated to the UK. In 1971, 75 out of 165 Engineers produced in Sri Lanka migrated to the UK.
“There is no such trend in migration of Medical Officers today. From 1980 and 2009, 11 percent of the Specialist Medical Officers produced in Sri Lanka migrated.
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
