News
SLMC sackings: GMOA reiterates accusations, backs Minister Pavithra
… election likely in March
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Reiterating its support for the controversial sacking of five members of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday (16) claimed that the group got to know about what was really going on only after some of its members received appointments therein.
The GMOA-backed members in the SLMC include four elected representatives, namely Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya, Dr. Naveen de Zoysa, Dr. Nalinda Herath and Dr. Harris Pathirage.
Dr. Pathirage, however, has since quit the Council citing personal reasons. The vacancy hasn’t been filled yet. Sources emphasised that all of them contested as medical officers and not as members of the GMOA and were elected.
GMOA Secretary Dr. Senal Fernando, in a brief statement issued yesterday alleged that the SLMC had registered those without required educational qualifications and even those who had not sat its examination. Dr. Fernando claimed that thousands sans qualifications had received recognition.
GMOA officials told The Island that those who had been sacked by Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi following a proper inquiry were all political appointees. In the absence of a laid out procedure to remove those who had been appointed by the Minister whoever held that post reserved the right to take action, sources said, adding that the GMOA was ready to face legal challenge in that regard.
Minister Wanniarachchi removed SLMC Chairman Specialist Consultant Pediatrician, Prof. Harendra de Silva, Prof. Narada Warnasuriya, Dr. Pushpika Ubesiri, Dr. Upul Gunasekara and Dr. Sunil Ratnapriya subsequent to an inquiry conducted by a panel of doctors-two of them happened to be members of the GMOA.
Sources said that the Attorney General’s Department and three President’s Counsel were also consulted before the Minister acted. Those who had challenged the move conveniently forgot that Dr. Rajitha Senaratne made the appointments in his capacity as the Minister and Pavitra Wanniarachchi did the same.
Sources said that with the consensus reached on election of four specialists at the next round, there would be 12 elected members with one each from Medical Faculties, one representing AMPs, Dental et al. Sources said that the total number of members, including those appointed by the minister could be as many as 30. Elections were likely in March 2021.
A senior GMOA official said that in case those who challenged the minster’s action resorted to legal action the proceedings could be quite revealing. The official challenged those who had been defending appointments made during the previous administration to state their stand on accusations pertaining to acceptance of students sans AL qualifications.
The GMOA emphasized that it did not move against political appointees clandestinely. “We requested Minister Wanniarachchi to take action in writing,” a senior Association spokesperson said, warning opponents not to suspect their resolve to clean up the SLMC.
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
