Kissing doctor in trouble

By Kanchana Kumara Ariyawansa(Daily Mirror)

A male doctor who had allegedly engaged in forcibly kissing and harassing female doctors at the Dambulla Base Hospital had been reported to the Police and Hospital Authorities.

However, Director of the Hospital Iresha Fernando said she could not comment on the matter as an inquiry was pending.

It is alleged that the said doctor had in the habit, forcibly kissing female doctors who come to the wards from quarters to attend to emergency cases in the night.

He was however identified recently when he tried to kiss a junior female doctor who was on her way to the hospital ward from the doctors’ quarters.

According to reports, the female doctor had shouted for help and other employees who had rushed to the scene had managed to catch the Romeo red handed, who happened to be a doctor of the same hospital.

An inquiry was begun on the matter after complaint was lodged with Dambulla Police and the District Medical Officer.

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Dear Colleagues,
This is not the first time we highlighted the fact that the behaviour of Medical professionals has become a hot topic for the public.It is sad that a few individuals who are among us are fueling media by not being mindful of their own behaviour.

NATO-No Action Talk Only

Report on Cuban BTI bacteria submitted
By Ishtartha Wellaboda(Bottom Line)

The technical committee report on the Cuban BTI bacteria is scheduled to be handed over today. Speaking to The Bottom Line, Acting Secretary General of the Health Ministry, Dr. Nihal Jayathilake said that once the report was handed over to him, the Ministry would forward it to the tender board for further approval.
He also added that the Health Ministry has already allocated over Rs.85 million out of the 500 million that is set aside by the Health Ministry’s budget to battle dengue in order to purchase 30,000 litres of the chemical.
The technical report is compiled by a special committee led by the Deputy Director General of Public Health Services, Dr. Palitha Mahipala and other qualified doctors.
Once the bacteria is imported, the Health Ministry hopes to conduct a series of trial field tests where they will introduce the bacteria to water tanks and water gathering cisterns in the Akurana, Kandy, Tangalle and Gampola areas.
Health officials believe that dengue mosquitoes have been breeding quite easily in these areas inside special cisterns that are used to gather and store water. Since general water supply to these areas are less frequent, people use open tanks to gather and store water. They plan to test the bacteria on these water storage systems in order to test the bacteria’s capability to fight dengue in Sri Lanka.
However, some health officials have already warned that applying the chemical to every possible breeding place of dengue mosquitoes like used tins and coconut shells might prove to be impractical.

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Dear Colleagues,
What is the role of the GMOA in issues related to the public.Should we intervene or keep away from such topics?
What is your opinion ?.

Strike by government nurses postponed

(Bottom Line)
The strike by government nurses due today was temporarily postponed due to the circular issued by Elections Commissioner into consideration.
Speaking to The Bottom Line yesterday the President of the Nurses’ Association Saman Rathnapriya stated that they had come to this decision respecting the orders issued by the Commissioner of Elections.
In a special notice issued yesterday Rathnapriya stated that the association expected to stage a protest in front of the Health Ministry pressing for an immediate response to the impending problems faced by nurses. They have demanded immediate solutions to the following six issues faced by members of their association:


1.Reforming/ recruiting procedures, establishing the study period for the
nursing degree as four years.
2.establishing a five-day week.
3.establishing a professional salary.
4.Rs. 3,000 accident benefit.
5.initiating Grade 1 promotions within 11 years.

In the statement Ratnapriya has also urged that his association decided to strike today because the government had failed up until today to carry out the promises that were ensured to them after their talks with the authorities in 2008.
(IS)
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Dear Colleagues,
It is a fact that we should have our own plans for our professional development and welfare but,Just look at their demands.What do you think about them!

WHO to train our doctors for the first time

Tuesday, 16 February 2010(GDI)
The World Health Organization is considering providing training to Sri Lankan doctors. This facility is normally confined to doctors from the developed countries.

The Programme Manager of the South East Asian Regional office of the WHO said that this was decided after taking the quality improvement in local health sector into consideration.

Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition Nimal Siripala de Silva had earlier made a request in this connection

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What on earth is this?

Another election result!

http://www.col3negoriginal.com/watch.php?id=3388


We were waiting patiently till the election fever go down to inform you about a special election result. We were a bit reluctant to reveal it during the election itself because of the fear of getting tagged ourselves as a group with political motives.

This is the news of Dr.Senarathne of the NHSL who was identified by himself as a strong UNP supporter eventually supported General Sarath Fonseka, publically. Even many weeks before this public appearance he was brave enough to go from ward to ward asking the support of the workers. The people who know him well know that during the times when elections are not there he had significant relationships with Minister and his officials.

Some body may say “Let him have his politics. That cannot be an obstacle to his professional /trade union life!”

Let me educate you on this matter.
Dr.Senarathne who is much better known as “Welfare Senarathne” was closer to a politician than to a professional. Many, who have worked at national hospital, may agree with us.
It was widely accepted even among his rivals that he is a person with some organizing capacity. But the way how he led the NHSL GMOA branch union and the welfare association was quite questionable. We do not wish to discuss his personal behavior or the allegations which have been leveled against him regarding financial misappropriations.
But most importantly when he was in power at the branch union or the welfare at NHSL his anti GMO behavior was quite evident.

1. The main problem was his mere presence made the GMOA vulnerable to spying. Even the security of the people who expressed their views at the meeting also was at threat. Basically the GMOA General committee became an unsafe place.
As time goes the GMOA learned to take the benefit of his presence to send information to political circles. When some crucial thing (usually the opposite of the real intention of the GMOA) was discussed at a forum where he was present the information leaked to the higher political circles without any difficulty and they got wrong information about GMOA strategies.

2. Secondly He never facilitated trade union actions at the National hospital at times when he was the branch secretary. He did not believe on individual responsibility of implementing collective decisions.

3. The biggest damage done by him to the profession was done quite recently, that was when the issue of internship came up,
He took the lead in misleading the juniors who are new to the system.
He facilitated the split between the junior batch and rest of the profession on this matter which he should never have done as a senior.
With the help of his beloved friend Bellana, he took the junior batch on a ride while the enemies of the profession were laughing at us.
Something which should never happen happened.
The GMOA went on a strike against its own members (even they are misled) although it was shown as a protest against the ministry.
The headless junior batch issued a press release which was prepared with the inputs of by Dr.Senarathne and faxed to the media with the blessing of the Minister.
This was a black mark in the history of the GMOA.
People started asking whether the GMOA is split.
4. He was a main barrier for the formation of an opposition against the present ex co.
Since the present Ex Co always had the benefit of showing the membership the known devil, which made members to vote the present Ex Co in order to defeat Senarathne.
PEACE AT LAST.
Dr. Senarathne at last found where he should be!!!!!!!!!!
He has joined the politicians and will not return back to mislead the juniors.
A profession has got another chance to make a new set of leaders devoid of scars and having the capacity to play the role of a strong opposition to the present Ex Co.
Let’s get together and wish Dr.Senarathne of National Hospital “all the best in his new carrier as a politician”
Thanks.


This discussion is open for your criticisms!

Cutting Siripala's wings or providing him a escape route?

NEWS-Cabinet appoints a 15-member medical team
To curb vector-borne diseases including dengue

04 FEBRUARY 2010 05:48(Daily Mirror)
By Sandun A. Jayasekara and Olindhi Jayasundere

The Ministry of Health said yesterday that the Cabinet has approved the appointment of 15 medical officers to curb vector-borne diseases including dengue as part of the ministry’s efforts to eradicate infectious diseases.

Health Ministry Deputy Director General, Dr. Palitha Mahipala said although the dengue epidemic was now under control in most parts of the country, it was still prevailing in the Jaffna, Vavuniya, Colombo and Gampaha districts.

He added that an inspectoral co-ordination and collaboration committee has been appointed by the Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunge with the participation of the Health Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Ministry of Provincial Councils and Local Government and other Ministries for this purpose.

“Infectious diseases were at a peak last year mainly due to adverse weather conditions. However, we must ensure that these diseases remain under control and therefore we need to be careful,” he said.

“This will further ensure that the spreading of the disease will reduce further,” he said. Dr. Mahipala said a number of machinery and equipment, insecticides have been bought by the Health Ministry to control dengue and other contagious diseases.

He added that medical experts specialising in the field have also been appointed for this purpose.

Dr. Mahipala said there were a total of 3,872 cases of dengue in the country in December 2009 and a total of 3,336 cases of the disease in January 2010. He added that the total number of deaths due to dengue last year was 345 and this year the number of deaths is 20.

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Dear Colleagues,
What are the under lying possibilities?
Is this a step taken with a good intention OR ..........?

Health Ministry hands over IDP healthcare to northern officials

by Dilanthi Jayamanne

The Health Ministry will hand over the task of providing healthcare services to internally displaced camps in the Vanni to health officials of the Northern Province with effect from tomorrow (01).

"We will be pulling out", Health Ministry spokesman said. "Health officials of the region will take over".

He said the Cabinet had only given approval to the Ministry to maintain services at the camp for six months following the arrival of the internal displaced to camps in Vanni last May.

The spokesman said there were only around 95,000 internally displaced persons still remaining in the camps. The Ministry spends over one million rupees per day on sustaining the services in these camps. The health workers have to be paid their overtime, batta and transport allowances as well as funds for their food.

The spokesman said the medical equipment in the camps would be handed over to NPC Governor, Maj. Gen. (Retd) G. A. Chandrasiri to be used at the Chettikulam Base Hospital.

Nurses will not be a problem as they were from the Vavuniya Nurses Training school. Government nurses arrived to assist at the camp as soon as the displaced started coming into Chetticulam during the humanitarian operations last May. Since then nurses from the training school in Vavuniya took over.

There are approximately 105 doctors serving at the camps. Forty Five of them would be left to serve the remaining IDPs while the others would be transferred to hospitals in the North and the South of the country according to the merit list, the spokesman said. The Ministry would discuss the transfers of these doctors with the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) before coming up with this year’s transfer list.

Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has already issued instructions to Acting Health Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayatilake to prepare the merit list of the doctors who are to remain at the camp during a review meeting held last Thursday.

The remaining medical staff would also be given replacement in other hospitals in the country. He said the ambulances would also be handed over to Northern Province health care services.