RW’S RETURN TO P’MENT TESTAMENT TO SAJITH’S FAILURES RESOURCES NOT SUFFICIENT RS. 70.00 PAGES 48 / SECTIONS 5 VOL. 03 – NO. 36 SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2021 TO BECOME COVID-19 NOW IN 20 ML SACHET BAN MARITIME HUB: COMMUNITY SPREAD: TO BE EXTENDED DHARSHANI LAHANDAPURA PROF. TISSA VITHARANA TO 100 ML »SEE PAGE 4 »SEE PAGE 11 »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 »SEE PAGES 10 & 11 SECOND DOSES OF COVISHIELD Govt. lab techs allege SPC delays z Delays in submitting purchase orders, z SPC can only act on Health Ministry, z NMRA only authorised SPC, not z SPC rejects z Ministry appointed donation applications: SLAGMLT Cabinet request: Lawyer Serum Institute local agent allegations of delays us sole agent: SPC BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA The National Medicines Regulatory of Health. ministry. The SPC can only act on a request by the Ministry, and then Authority (NMRA) gave regulatory However, at the time the SPC a request made by the Ministry of get some form of Cabinet approval The alleged delay on the part of the State Pharmaceuticals clearance for the emergency use obtained the sole authority to bring Health or, in the case of urgent or large before taking any action in relation Corporation (SPC) in submitting the purchase orders to bring of Covishield in Sri Lanka on 22 down Covishield, there was a local procurements, the Cabinet. Once the to any large or urgent procurements. down the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishied Covid-19 vaccine, January, while, as announced by State agent for the Serum Institute. The SPC gets the request order from the If, due to the current circumstances, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, is being Minister of the Production, Supply, SPC had, however, proceeded with Medical Supplies Division (MSD) this process has been changed, there blamed for the unavailability of around 600,000 doses to and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals the vaccine programme after obtaining of the Ministry of Health, depending should be some law or regulation that administer the second dose among the public, The Sunday Prof. Channa Jayasumana, the SPC a no objection letter from the said on the monetary value of the import, gives the SPC greater powers to act Morning learnt. had sent a purchase order for 18 local agent. there are procurement guidelines on independently,” Angunawela added. million doses of Covishield on 3 Explaining the legal procedure, how to proceed. If it is a very large When contacted by The Sunday As alleged by Sri Lanka Association already begun its donation campaign February. Attorney-at-Law Ranil Angunawela order, according to the procurement Morning, NMRA Chief Executive of Government Medical Laboratory and made donations to several other Nevertheless, cabinet approval said the SPC is tasked with the import guidelines, they have to get approval Officer (CEO) Dr. Kamal Jayasinghe Technologists (SLAGMLT) President neighbouring countries. for to purchase 10 million doses of or manufacture and distribution of from the Standing Cabinet Appointed said the NMRA had not given any Ravi Kumudesh, Sri Lanka had started He claimed that if the SPC had Covishield at $ 52.5 million was given pharmaceutical products in Sri Lanka. Procurement Committee. If it is a approval to a local agent of the Serum the process of bringing down the started the process early, Sri Lanka on 22 February in response to a cabinet “They don’t exercise any regulatory very urgent order, the Cabinet can Institute but only allowed the SPC to vaccines and even the application for would have already secured the paper submitted by Prof. Jayasumana, power. The regulatory power is authorise the procurement,” he said. bring down the vaccine. donations from India, after India had required vaccine doses. who was the then Acting Minister exercised by the NMRA and the line “Therefore, the SPC must act on Contd. on page 2 MV X-PRESS PEARL DISASTER A DOUBLE WHAMMY ASTRAZENECA COVISHIELD VACCINE Compensation Difference in under calculation imported, z Will be more BY YUMIKO PERERA than the MT New Diamond claim: The sum that would be sought as inoculated doses Maritime lawyer compensation for the massive ecological z Extra dose z Questions z Ecological damage the MV X-Press Pearl disaster has damage, loss of caused to the country is in the process of being in each remain on fate livelihoods, all to calculated, The Sunday Morning learnt. imported vial of 11th dose be factored in Speaking to The Sunday Morning, maritime z lawyer Dr. Dan Malika Gunasekera said: “During The Ministry of Health other private institution has MT New the MT New Diamond incident, the Marine acknowledged last week imported vaccines secretly. Diamond damage assessment took Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), that there was a difference Refuting the allegation, 4 months: MEPA citing the environmental damage, had asked between the number of Deputy Director General Chair for an additional $ 20 million as compensation. Oxford-AstraZeneca of Public Health Services Contd. on page 2 Covishield Covid-19 Dr. Hemantha Herath told vaccine doses they had The Sunday Morning that brought down to Sri the country had received Amending marine Lanka and the number of a total of 126,400 vials doses with which they had of Covishield vaccines vaccinated the public so far. containing 1.26 million laws discussed As of 3 June, according doses. Amending marine laws, especially the Marine Environment Protection to statistics issued by the “One vial contains 10 for the protection from pollution, Authority (MEPA), are continuing Epidemiology Unit of the doses of 0.5 ml. But there’s is still at the discussion level and the work with the assistance of the Ministry of Health, a total an additional dose that had to two main institutions related to Attorney General’s (AG) Department, On top of the adversities of the pandemic, people are facing many more hardships due to the heavy southwest of 1,276,200 doses have be included in a vial in case the maritime sector, the Merchant The Sunday Morning learnt. monsoon rains. Pictured here are travellers going about their work on the flooded 143 bus route last weekend been administered among of wastage and that means Shipping Secretariat (MSS) and Contd. on page 2 PHOTO PRADEEP DAMBARAGE the public, including a total that we had an additional of 925,242 doses as the 126,400 doses. But not all of ORGANICS FOR MAHA SEASON COLOMBO CITY BEAUTIFICATION first dose and 350,958 as these doses can be used,” Dr. the second dose. Herath explained, adding that Several progs. However, the country since there was an additional UDA drawing 15-year plan has only brought down a dose remaining in a vial, in z Fort to be cleared z Govt. entities z Peliyagoda earmarked z Multipurpose transport hub total of 1,264,000 vaccine case one dose could be used, to produce doses, and therefore, there the Ministry of Health had for tourism to be relocated for businesses relocation for Fort Railway-Maradana is a difference of an extra issued a circular allowing BY YOSHITHA PERERA out of the city to create space for the new Godahewa told The Sunday Morning that 12,200 vaccine doses. This the use of that remaining fertilisers The city of Colombo will evolve as a urban plan, The Sunday Morning learnt. there are certain government buildings in has raised concerns among additional dose whenever z Manufacturing machines to new urban area within the next 10 to 15 State Minister of Urban Development, the Colombo Fort area which could be the public as to whether possible. be locally made years, as most of the current businesses Coast Conservation, Waste Disposal, relocated as part of the masterplan. the Government or any Contd. on page 2 and government institutions will be moved and Community Cleanliness Dr. Nalaka Contd. on page 2 Several programmes are being planned to VACCINATION OF PREGNANT WOMEN SPUTNIK V AS SINGLE-DOSE JAB expedite the production of organic fertilisers COLOMBO PORT CITY ECONOMIC COMMISSION required for the Maha season cultivation, The Sunday Morning learnt. NACCD At a discussion held at the Presidential Meeting this week Recommendations Secretariat on Wednesday (2), President yet to make Gotabaya Rajapaksa had advised officials to due this week study the machinery required to produce organic to decide next step recommendation fertilisers and the manufacturing machines, The Colombo Port City S.R. Attygalle, a member of z Jab only for z Appointment- z Inputs from stakeholders so that they could be built locally with the Economic Commission will the Commission, said the expectant mothers based system to be under consideration assistance of the Sri Lanka Army Engineers operate as a proper office and seven-member Commission BY AAZAM AMEEN Corps at state-owned factories while the rest of certain recruitments are to be will meet this week to with complications in place the required amounts of organic fertilisers would made in the near future, The decide on the next steps to A new appointment-based of Health recommendations in With the Government being informed by be imported in due course, it is further learnt. Sunday Morning learnt. be implemented in relation vaccination programme will be this regard will be issued this Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute that Contd. on page 2 Speaking with The Sunday to the financial hub. introduced in order to vaccinate week, The Sunday Morning Sputnik V can be administered as a single-dose Morning, Treasury Secretary Contd. on page 2 pregnant women against learnt. vaccine with an efficacy level of 70-80%, the OXYGEN FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS Covid-19, while the Ministry Contd. on page 2 National Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (NACCD) is still looking into the Direct supply SOUTH WEST MONSOON RAGES ON matter, The Sunday Morning learnt.