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SL to purchase 3mn Covishield jabs; plans to vaccinate 50-60% this year
Sri Lanka plans to purchase three million doses of India’s Covishield vaccine and use a combination of Indian, Russian and Chinese-manufactured COVID-19 vaccines pending approval to immunise 50 to 60 per cent of the population within the year, an official said.
Presidential advisor Lalith Weeratunga told reporters that Sri Lanka has sent a formal request to the Serum Institute of India for the three million vials of the company’s version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine known as Covishield. This is in addition to half a million doses of the same vaccine arriving in Sri Lanka tomorrow as a donation from the Indian government.
“We are hoping to place a purchase order through the State Pharmaceutical Corporation of Sri Lanka for two to three million doses,” said Weeratunga.
Given global demands, Sri Lanka must act quickly to acquire vaccines for the population as early as possible, he said, but it must be done according to a plan.
“There is no point storing an unnecessarily large amount of vaccine in the country, and this Covishield vaccine has to be used within six months of the manufactured date. We need to plan an operation to speedily distribute it among the general public when we reach that phase,” he said.
Weeratunga further said the government will take similar steps with other vaccines if the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) approves them to be used in Sri Lanka.
“Though we have expressed interest to purchase the vaccine as early as possible, we have to wait until the Serum institute accepts it. It will take them some time to deliver that consignment. In the meantime, if the other vaccines are approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and t he NMRA, we will do the same with them as well,” he said.
Acting Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr Susi Perera said that with the WHO recommending that people under the age of 20, pregnant and breast-feeding women be not vaccinated, 35 per cent of Sri Lanka’s population will not receive the vaccination.
“When the Ministry of Health listed the groups of people that need to be vaccinated, the we saw that we need to vaccinate more than 20 per cent of the population in order to manage virus. So we decided to vaccinate 50 percent,” she said.
“There is 65 percent that need to be vaccinated excluding the 35 percent [who don’t need vaccination]. The ministry has decided to vaccinate at least 50 percent,” she added.
Weeratunga claimed the government will be able to vaccinate 50-60 percent of the targeted population within this year.
“We have queued up to get the vaccine from various institutes. Right now what we have is the Oxford-AstraZeneca one. But if Russia’s Sputnik V and China’s Sinopharm also get WHO and NMRA approval based on all the data that is generated out of ongoing trials, we will have a combination of vaccines. Very tentatively I can say 50-60 percent of the targeted group will be vaccinated within the year,” 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
