4 Friday 14th March, 2008 Shortcomings in health sector: ACHSU tells Health Minister to resign by Sanjeevi no attempt has been able. Jayasuriya made to rectify the sit- The union said that a num- The medicinal drug uation, they urged the ber of drugs were in short sup- shortage in a number Minister to resign if ply in hospitals in outstation of hospitals island- he is unable to solve including Matara, Matale, wide has caused hard- problems. Kurunegala, Kandy, Moneragala, ship to patients. The Providing a list of Badulla, Ampara and Health Minister is drugs in short supply, Kalubowila. directly responsible for the Union said There is also a shortage of this situation, Diltiazame, IV equipment such as Neck Line President Mahinda Rajapaksa grants financial assistance to renovate temples in the East at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (13). Pic by Sudath Silva President, All Ceylon Siripala Dobutamine, and Catheter. The union said Health Service Union, Vincrestin, Insulin (in that in some hospitals some of Gamini Kumarasinghe said at a outstation hospitals), the medical tests were not car- press conference yesterday. Olanzepine, Resperidone, ried out due to varies reasons. Accusing the Minister for the Salbutamol, Beclamethzone, “This is a national issue and we New administrative officers to be shortcomings in the health sec- Ibudrufen were not available in urge the authorities to provide tor management resulting in hospitals. All in all, 255 out of with an immediate solution,” inefficiency, the Union said that 890 drugs in use were not avail- Kumarasinghe said. absorbed into regional institutions Newly recruited officers of launched in the larities that took place the administrative service would Hambantota district while the distribution of Norwegian vessel Husband attacks wife be absorbed into regional institu- The discussions also fertilizer. tions following a directive from dwelled on all the small The problems of the to the rescue the President. The President had and medium scale tanks fishing community in the with coconut, commits instructed to this effect at a spe- under reconstructed and area will also be dealt from S. K. Kaluarachi and cial discussion held at Temple measures which are to be with while measures are Lalith Chaminda, Galle Corrs. suicide Trees, Wednesday (12), with sev- taken to mitigate the ille- to be taken to provide A Norwegian vessel rescued five eral Ministers including gal occupancy issue that is President electricity to all parts of Sri Lankan fishermen whose multi- by Cyril picked up a row with his Ministers Mithripala Sirisena, widespread at the area where Hambantota. The shortcoming day boat capsized 175 nautical miles Wimalasurendre wife and attacked her, sub- Chamal Rajapaksa and officials the tanks are being constructed. of teachers in the Southern off Galle. KANDY - A 46-year-old sequently taking his life, of Southern Province, a press President Rajapaksa reiterat- Province will be resolved short- The vessel which set off for deep resident of Walala in according to police. release issued by the Information ed the need to streamline water ly, he said. The President sea fishing on January 18 had cap- Wattegama police area, Police said the husband Department said yesterday. issues of the farmers in the left emphasized that the contribu- sized on March 11 and the fishermen attacked his wife with a came home frequently It said that during the meet- bank of Waleve Ganga and he tion of villagers is vital in the were struggling out at sea when the coconut causing her drunk and constantly quar- ing, the President discussed at also ordered the officials con- process of national develop- Norwegian ship spotted and rescued injuries and committed sui- relled with his wife. length the development activities cerned to look in to the irregu- ment. them. cide by swallowing a poison The injured woman was The rescued men were brought to and later by hanging, admitted to the Kandy Galle and handed over to the Galle Wattegama police said on General Hospital. Harbour Police. The vessel named Thursday (13). Investigations are con- ‘Ranmenika’ was owned by P. M. Anil The deceased T. M. ducted by Wattegama Police Upgrading Disaster Response Network of Weligama. The five men were from Wijesuriya, who returned as the directions of OIC, IP Weligama, Telijjawila and Mirissa. home after closing his bou- Chinthaka Bandara. The Harbour Police handed over them tique near Kundasale, with foreign assistance to their families. The Cabinet granted Operation Centre, Finance through the approval to the joint memo- 50 Early Warning Government of the Green... From page 1 randum submitted by Towers and 10 Netherlands. He said that consumers who used Mahinda Samarasinghe, Emergency The proposed project more than 90 units would have to pay Minister of Disaster Operation Centres includes following compo- an additional fuel adjustment charge Management and Human as Phase 1 of the nents: 1).Expanding the cur- of 30 percent. Rights and Janaka Bandara Early Warning rent Emergency Response The Gazette notification giving the Tennakoon, for the second System Project. Systems (ERS) by upgrading increased electricity charges by the Mahinda Janaka CEB would be published tomorrow phase of upgrading the dis- Within the frame- and establishing 14 fire and (15) and relief for lower income aster response network in Sri work of the Road Map to Safer rescue stations in addition to the groups was still being discussed by Lanka through foreign assis- Sri Lanka, developed by the 18 such stations to be developed the Treasury and CEB officials, he tance. Disaster Management Center, the under the ongoing project, 2). said. With the assistance of ORET Dutch International Center for Provision of emergency treat- President Mahinda Rajapaksa had, Mixed Credit Programme, the Emergency Techniques (ICET) ment equipment and BLS the Minister said, given a directive that the lower income groups should Ministry of Local. Government has proposed a project to the Ambulance for 12 hospitals, 3). be given relief but the CEB was using and Provincial Councils, is now Ministry of Local Government & Provision of additional 50 alarm fuel for the generation of more than implementing a project for Provincial Councils and Ministry towers and communication and 65 percent of its power generation, upgrading the disaster response of Disaster Management & alarm equipment for 15 costing around 15 rupees per unit at a network in 18 Urban Local Human Rights to be implemented Emergency Operation Centers, 4). loss of 44 billion rupees for the cur- Authorities and the Ministry of as the Second Phase of the Provision of communication rent year. The expenditure of the CEB Disaster Management & Human Project for upgrading The equipments and transport vehi- for the current year was estimated at Rights is also implementing a Disaster Response Network in Sri cles for 15 Emergency Operation 139 billion rupees, but the income was Youth Affairs Minister Pavithra Wanniarchchi lights the only 94 billion rupees. The Ceylon traditional oil lamp declare opening a Career Guidance Disaster Management Project to Lanka with a total cost of Euro Centers, 5). Services to imple- Petroleum Corporation had supplied Fair at the Matara Technical College recently. improve emergency preparedness 46,335,993 financed by Rabobank ment, maintain training its oper- fuel to the CEB at a subsidised rate and response by setting up a 24x7 International TCE Export ators. with the Treasury absorbing the loss, but with the barrel of crude oil going up to 110 US dollars in the world mar- ket it was not possible to absorb the No... From page 1 escalating loss, Seneviratne said. Rs 16. Now, the price of a operatives and Consumer early last month, said the gov- He said industries had been given kilo has shot up to Rs 32.50,” Services Ministry never envis- ernment had allocated Rs 2,000 concessions but that incentive was no he said. aged entering the rice market. million to buy paddy. long er possible in view of the rising Priyanka said the intense The establishment of STC Abeywardene, addressing the cost of fuel. Some countries like India competition had driven up the triggered expectations that the weekly Cabinet press briefing, had already introduced power cuts but prices and there was no likeli- government would import rice said the money had been allo- Sri Lanka was wary of following suit hood of prices coming down in to stabilise the market. cated on Agriculture because of political repercussions the near future. Ratnayake said the STC was in Development and Agrarian such a move would have, he said. Trad Lanka and CIC are the process of importing a Services Minister Maithripala He said the CEB was losing a great among a half a dozen private sizeable stock of cement from Sirisena’s request. deal due to power piracy, especially in dealers engaged in the lucra- Pakistan while exploring the The Island learns that large areas under the LTTE control and cer- tive trade. possibility of ordering sugar stocks of paddy are being pur- tain other areas where even the CEB Trade Secretary Dr. R. M. K. from Brazil. “We’ll sell at a chased to be used to produce officials could not visit for security Ratnayake yesterday said the competitive price,” he said, animal feed. Although the gov- reasons. The estimated number of newly established State expressing confidence that ernment was aware of this, consumers pirating electricity was Trading Company wouldn’t their plans would be fruitful. action hadn’t been taken to around 500,000 including those in the import rice. He said the Trade, Non-Cabinet Minister thwart these bulk purchases, uncleared areas, he said. Marketing Development, Co- Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, well informed sources said.

UNESCO... From page 1 Ravi... From page 1 way as to indicate its support for the infor- number of UNESCO’s Member States, which asked whether he remembered seeking asy- To Commemorate the tenth Anniversary of “Metha” Children’s Montessori of mation presented. UNESCO had not been informed of and could lum in India during times of trouble, he avoid- Nikawaritiya a five member Japanese Buddhist delegation arrived in the Earlier UNESCO Director General Koichiro not endorse. ed the question. island. They were received at the airport by Ven. Dr. Wadurasse Ariyawansa Matsura had complied with an RSF request to A statement posted on UNESCO website “The JVP is playing a double game and Thero the principal of the “Metha” Children’s Montessori of Nikawaritya, grant patronage to its event. However, in a care- said, “UNESCO reiterates its support for free- Ven. Meegomuwe Sumada Thissa Thero Chief Priest of the won’t allow the Government to be toppled and fully worded letter Matsura had spelt out that dom of expression on the internet but felt com- Abeyasekerarama Temple, Negombo and lay delegates. Pictures shows: the this was proved by the way they behaved at the his organization ‘could not be associated with pelled to withdraw patronage following the pub- five member delegation of Japanese nationals comprising of Rev. Tsutsumi the activities envisaged for this occasion’. lication of information by RSF which did not Third Reading of the Budget. The masses Myoho Sama, Rev. Prof. Onishi Shinjun Sama, Mr. Inagaki Masaaki Sama, UNESCO said in its communications on the follow the arrangements agreed upon between know what the JVP is up to,” Karunanayake Mr. Takatani Yutaka Sama and Mrs. Nakagawa Hiroko Sama together with day, RSF had published material concerning a the two organizations concerning the event. said. Ven. Dr. Wadurasse Ariyawansa Thero and Ven. Meegomuwe Sumada Thissa Thero. Mega... From page 1 Sources also said the ministry (CAA) has failed to take any tan- to prepare a pricing formula. crowded prisons, after lawyer From had blocked the release of the gible action to protect the rights Besides the CAA there was also Sarath Wijesinghe quit the post Expect... page 1 Indian rice after the fraud was of the consumer. Recently, on a three-member Consumer Affairs following a damning ruling by rupees on every litre of diesel litre of petrol but had recorded brought to its notice. Although Gunawardene’s request, Justice Council, a statutory institute set Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva. it retails. Whenever the world an overall loss of Rs. 3,900 mil- the government recently cate- Minister Amarasiri Dodangoda up under the Consumer Affairs The minister also accommodat- prices go up we don’t make lion in the last three months, he gorised rice as an essential item, set up a special Consumer Court Act. ed Lal Thalgaswatte, a former Sri adjustments to local prices and said adding that the CPC was action hadn’t been taken either to in a bid to protect the consumer. Gunawardene recently appoint- Lankan Airlines country manager and whenever it comes down we recovering part of the loss with fix prices or at least control Well informed sources asserted ed as Head of CAA Rumy in France and his sister-in-law Ms don’t bring down the prices of the help of the earnings from its prices. that it wouldn’t be correct to Marzook, a former Prisons Chief, Deheragoda, a former Director oil, because there is an average refinery and other sources. Despite grandiose plans to cele- blame the CAA as the ministry who earned the wrath of a section General of the Sri Lanka price and we stick to that,” he CPC Chairman Ashantha De brate the National Consumers’ hadn’t decided on prices of differ- of the officialdom for making a Standards Institution (SLSI). said. Mel, Secretary to the Ministry of Day in Kandy tomorrow (15), ent varieties of rice. Once that genuine bid to improve living con- They are among the three work- The CPC was, however, mak- Petroleum Upali Gunasekera Consumer Affairs Authority was done, the CAA would be able ditions inside the country’s over- ing directors. ing a profit of 18 rupees on every were also present.