News
Suwaseriya completes fruitful five years
Colombo District MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, founder of 1990 Suwaseriya Pre Hospital Care Ambulance Service said yesterday that it had been launched amidst various obstacles. He said so on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the ambulance service, which falls today (28).
Dr. de Silva emphasised that the infrastructure needed to be further developed to improve the service rendered by the ambulance service. Everyone had come to realise the value of the ambulance service due to the national health emergence, he added.
“Today, this service is celebrating its fifth anniversary with great pride. I salute all, most importantly the almost 1,500 Suwaseriya staff led voluntarily by Dumindra Ratnayake and the Board along with CEO Sohan de Silva; they are totally committed to this service and responsible for having developed it to the present level. It is very important to further improve the service. Therefore, on this occasion of the fifth anniversary of this service, I urge the government to study the future needs and take steps to strengthen the infrastructure facilities of this service. It will definitely be a very important social investment.”
On July 28, 2016, the 1990 Suwa Seriya pilot project was launched in Western and Southern Provinces using 88 ambulances, with a grant of US $ 7.6 million from India. Following the success of the pilot project, India again donated US $ 15.2 million to Sri Lanka to launch ambulance service countrywide. People of Sri Lanka are most grateful to the people of India and PM Modi for this gift.
At present, 297 ambulances of the 1990 Suwaseriya are operational throughout the country and is managed entirely at the expense of the government through the Suwa Seriya Foundation established by 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation Act No. 18 of 2018.
“The last five years have been five years of healing for the country. Such services do not exist even in more developed countries than ours. Anyone who has taken its service will definitely appreciate its importance. We have been successful in achieving almost all the targets set by us during these five years. I thank former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for supporting me in launching this service, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for taking this service forward as planned, Minister of Health (Mrs.) Pavithra Wanniarachchi and State Minister of Health (Mrs.) Sudarshini Fernandopulle under whom the service is currently gazetted” he said.
As of now 903,438 patients have been admitted to emergency and critical care through this service and the average time taken to reach a patient in any part of the country is just 14 minutes and 28 seconds.
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
