DISPLACED BY LONG-TERM Govt. sets agenda: DEVELOPMENT THE LONG 20A gets priority WAIT CONTINUES RS. 70.00 PAGES 64 / SECTIONS 6 VOL. 02 – NO. 47 SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2020 TNA RECEDES IMF SUPPORT ONLY POLITICAL IF UNCONDITIONAL LEADERSHIP – GOVERNOR »SEE PAGE 6 »SEE PAGE 7 »SEE BUSINESS PAGE 1 »SEE PAGES 8 & 9 For verified information on the GENERAL PREVENTIVE GUIDELINES COVID-19 LOCAL CASES COVID-19 CASES coronavirus (Covid-19) contact any of the IN THE WORLD following authorities ACTIVE CASES TOTAL CASES 1999 TOTAL CASES Health Promotion Bureau 2,886 Suwasariya Quarantine Unit 0112 112 705 21,154,001 Ambulance Service Epidemiology Unit 0112 695 112 DEATHS RECOVERED Govt. coronavirus hotline 0113071073 Wash hands with soap Wear a commercially Maintain a minimum Use gloves when shopping, Use traditional Sri Lankan Always wear a mask, avoid DEATHS RECOVERD 1990 for 40-60 seconds, or rub available mask/cloth mask distance of 1 metre using public transport, etc. greeting at all times crowded vehicles, maintain 2,658 PRESIDENTIAL SPECIAL TASK FORCE FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES hands with alcohol-based or a surgical mask if showing from others, especially in and discard into a lidded instead of handshaking, distance, and wash hands 11 758,942 13,980,941 Telephone 0114354854, 0114733600 Fax 0112333066, 0114354882 handrub for 20-30 seconds respiratory symptoms public places bin lined with a bag hugging, and/or kissing before and after travelling 217 Hotline 0113456200-4 Email [email protected] THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE CONFIRMED UP UNTIL 6.00 P.M. ON 14 AUGUST 2020 No UNP in the House BY OUR POLITICAL EDITOR z National List slot vacant z Working Committee undecided The United National Party (UNP) has decided to seek The decision to seek more time to Sunday Morning that the party would possible to not name the National List ended on Friday (14). more time to finalise the party’s nominee for the National finalise UNP’s sole representation in not be represented in the House that day. nominee by the time of the inaugural Election Commission (EC) List secured at the recently concluded general election. the ninth Parliament was reached at “It is confirmed. There will not be session, the senior UNPer explained Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya was Therefore, the UNP will not be represented in Parliament the party’s Working Committee (WC) any UNP representation in the House that this is not unprecedented. not contactable for comment at the at its inaugural session on Thursday (20), The Sunday meeting on Friday (14). on 20 August,” the source said. The deadline for political parties to time of going to print. Morning learnt. A senior UNP source confirmed to The When asked whether it is legally propose their National List nominees Contd. on page 2 WOMEN’S AFFAIRS PCOI PROBING POLITICAL VICTIMISATION ‘State ministry Check this out! Over 1,800 complaints BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA received by the PCoI as of Friday adequate’ (14) evening, senior sources told The The Presidential Commission of Sunday Morning. Sources revealed Despite women making up 52% of Sri Inquiry (PCoI) probing instances of that the Commission was also to Lanka’s population, the Government asserted political victimisation has received summon a number of key political there wasn’t a need for a cabinet ministry for over 1,800 complaints so far, The figures including former Prime women’s affairs, as it believed a state ministry Sunday Morning learnt. Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. would be more targeted for the subject. A total of 1,863 complaints were Contd. on page 2 Government Spokesman and Minister of Mass Media Keheliya Rambukwella said that CAPITAL HEIGHTS a state ministry was adequate for the subject. Contd. on page 2 CAPITALRS. 34 MILLION HEIGHTS UPWARDSRS. 34 MILLION CHINESE TESTING POSITIVE UPWARDS No tests on CAPITAL HEIGHTS passengers in RS. 34 MILLION VISIT OUR transit: AASL UPWARDSWEBSITE CAPITALVISIT HEIGHTS+94 OUR 763112233 BY SARAH HANNAN RS.35SHOW APARTMENT MILLIONWEBSITE UPWARDSRS. 34 MILLION Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) READY FOR INSPECTION UPWARDS Ltd. (AASL) will not begin Covid-19 VISIT OUR testing or screening on transit passengers PROJECT NEARING+94 763112233 COMPLETION WEBSITE at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), SHOW APARTMENT despite 23 passengers that were in transit at VISIT OUR +94 763112233WEBSITE BIA testing positive for the virus upon their READY FOR INSPECTION SHOW APARTMENT www.capitalheights.lk arrival in China. The flight in question was SHOW APARTMENT +94 763112233 operating from Dubai to China. State Minister of Cane, Brass, Clay, Furniture, and Rural Industry Promotion Prasanna Ranaweera and State Minister of READY FORREADY INSPECTION FOR INSPECTION Contd. on page 2 Development of Rural Paddy Fields and Associated Tanks, Reservoirs, and IrrigationPROJECT Anuradha Jayaratne NEARING intently reading COMPLETION a document shortly after being sworn in as state ministers last Wednesday (12) in Kandy PHOTO LALITH PERERA PROJECT NEARINGPROJECT NEARING COMPLETION COMPLETION SEETHAWAKA GANGA HYDROPOWER PROJECT INAUGURAL P’MENT SESSION Premalal, Pillayan submit letters Loan halt creates The lawyers of convicted MPs Premalal Jayasekara, alias “Choka Malli”, and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias “Pillayan”, have written to the Parliament Secretariat regarding their attendance at the inaugural session of the new Parliament. further delay Contd. on page 2 BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA this year, as the project finances was focusing on a number of other have not yet been finalised,” Ceylon projects for which the finances have The Seethawaka Ganga Hydropower Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman already been approved. Douglas invites Project would face further delays due Eng. Vijitha Herath told The Sunday According to the CEB Long-Term to issues pertaining to project finances, Morning on Friday (14). Generation Expansion Plan 2015-2034, Diaspora as obtaining foreign loans for projects The EIA is now awaiting public the plant was to be completed in 2022, has been restricted due to the ongoing comments. but now, with the present progress, investments economic situation of the country According to the CEB, the estimated CEB believes that the commissioning Minister Douglas Devananda, assuming following the Covid-19 pandemic. total cost of the project is $ 79 million of the project would be delayed till his duties at the Ministry of Fisheries on “The project was slowed down and the project is scheduled to be 2024. However, the CEB Chairman Thursday (13), called on the Diaspora to from the beginning and now it has completed in 2024. claimed there was no time period come forward to invest in their homeland completed the Environmental Impact Herath told that the Seethawaka finalised as yet for the launch of the and contribute towards building a stable Assessment (EIA). However, we Ganga Hydropower Project was not project’s construction work. government in Sri Lanka. wouldn’t be able to launch the project a priority at the moment, as the CEB Contd. on page 2 Contd. on page 2 WITH OUR READERS’ HEALTH IN MIND A SPECIAL ANTIMICROBIAL INK HAS BEEN USED IN THE PRINTING OF OUR NEWSPAPER 2 the sunday morning FOCUS/NEWS Sunday, August 16, 2020 BY SARAH HANNAN UNREGULATED ACUPUNCTURE CLINICS Over the last decade, the number of acupuncture clinics seems to have mushroomed across the island, and the number of people opting to receive such treatment has turned into a topic of debate as there A disaster waiting have been several incidents where following treatment, many have visited general physicians complaining about side effects. The practice itself was to happen introduced to the country by Dr. Anton Jayasuriya, a medical doctor who introduced the practice to internal doctors at the Kalubowila Deaths reported after acupuncture Hospital, after which he went on to About 90 deaths after The patient then died almost train individuals interested in the acupuncture have been immediately. At autopsy, two practice. anecdotally documented in punctures of the right ventricle However, these teachings or the medical literature, Journal of were found. persons that completed the training The Royal Society of Medicine The second patient was a were never registered with the Sri (JRSM). 26-year-old Chinese woman who Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) or The practice has been associated consulted an acupuncturist for the Ayurvedic Medical Council. with more deaths than most other an unnamed reason. A needle Colombo South Teaching “alternative” therapies, except penetrated her lung and the patient Hospital (Kalubowila Hospital) herbal medicine. died of tension pneumothorax. Director Dr. Asela Gunawardena In the article “Acupuncture – a The first case exemplifies the said that there was no authorised treatment to die for?” by Edzard importance of adequate training acupuncture clinic in operation Ernts, published in 2010 in the and technique. As with all invasive at the hospital at present and that JRSM, it is noted that the fatalities interventions, complications after whoever is running the practice, are usually due to an acupuncture acupuncture can occur, but when claiming to be affiliated to the needle penetrating a vital organ, they do, they must be recognised hospital, is an imposter and is not a causing pneumothorax cardiac and promptly treated. Hallmarks trained acupuncture practitioner. tamponade or major haemorrhage. of poorly trained alternative Meanwhile, Government with the ministry attempting to Bleeding and pain during regulated practice in Sri Lanka,” Illustrating two instances,