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Side effects of drugs: GMOA accuses health officials of making ‘uneducated guesses’
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Certain senior health officials are making uneducated guesses about recent tragedies involving suspected side effects of drugs, instead of conducting scientific investigations into these incidents, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), media spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe told The Island on Thursday.
Dr. Wijesinghe said the actions of certain senior officials were undermining the universal free health services offered to the people. These officials are being protected by those in higher seats of power, he added.
“Let’s look at the behaviour of Dr. G. Wijesuriya, who is the Director of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital and the acting Deputy Director General – Medical Service -II. His ineptitude has undermined the efficiency of both these institutions,” Dr. Wijesinghe alleged.
The GMOA media spokeman said Lady Ridgeway Hospital is one of the best hospitals in South Asia. However, in recent times, the quality of facilities available to both patients and staff has deteriorated. There are also shortages in medicine.
“He is enjoying perks and not taking any action. Now he has also been appointed to the Health Ministry to cover the duties of an important position. Dr. Wijesuriya is not a specialist doctor. There are many specialists who have a wealth of experience in administration. Until recently, it was widely acknowledged that a specialist, with a wealth of experience in administration, must be appointed to such key positions. However, Dr. Wijesuriya, who pretends to be a specialist before the media, has caused many issues in the unit he is in charge of. He has involved himself in the transfer of doctors, and that has caused great inconvenience,” he said.
The GMOA spokesperson said that they have officially handed over a letter, highlighting the issues with Dr. Wijesuriya, to the Minister and Secretary. Following this, Dr. Wijesuriya told the media that only a handful of doctors await transfers.
There are about 6,000 doctors who have been greatly inconvenienced by delays in transfers. So right now, about 30 percent of doctors are not working in hospitals where they should be, the GMOA spokesperson said.
“However, Dr. Wijesuriya himself said that in 2021, 60 percent of doctors in lists were transferred. The number is 42 percent in 2022 and 16.5 percent in 2023. These are his numbers. According to his own data, 40 percent of eligible doctors in 2021, 58 percent in 2022, and around 84 percent of doctors in 2023 have not yet been transferred. So about 6,300 doctors have not been transferred in the past three years. This aligns with what we say,” Dr. Wijesinghe said.
There are many issues in hospitals because doctors and other health staff have left the country, and one way of addressing some of these challenges is to make the correct transfers of health staff.
Following a systematic transfer process, officials can identify where the real shortages are, what kind of doctors we lack, and the hospitals that are most in crisis, he said.
“There is a mechanism on transfer of doctors. However, officials and politicians like to meddle with established processes to propagate abuse and corruption. People like Dr. Wijesuriya don’t like systems and processes,” he said.
The GMOA spokesperson said that Dr. Wijesuriya has also expressed opinions on recent deaths of people who died, allegedly due to side effects of drugs.
“Recently a Grade One student from Kelaniya died at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital. Investigations are ongoing and we don’t know what happened. However, before any investigation is complete, Dr. Wijesuriya has opined on her death. This behaviour scares people and undermines their trust in the state healthcare system. Health workers are trying so hard to make the system work and to build people’s trust. There are organized groups that want to destroy the state healthcare system. These groups have agents, and do people like Dr. Wijesuriya work with these groups?” he said.
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
