Sri Lankan Brigadier threatens to kill a doctor; GMOA withdraws doctors from service

 

Sri Lanka Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) complained to the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Army Commander Shavendra Silva regarding the death threat against the head of Sampathnuwara District Hospital by a senior Army officer.

According to the letter dated 28 October 2020, sent to the Minister of Health, Brigadier K.K.S. Parakum of Mechanized Infantry Regiment had visited Sampathnuwara District Hospital in Welioya and abused the Head of the Institution and other medical officers using racist and derogatory words. The words include anti-Tamil racist language that called the doctors terrorists. 

As a trade union action, GMOA has withdrawn the doctors from the service in Sampathnuwara District Hospital. 

Full text of the letter: 

Government Medical Officers Association
28.10.2020

Hom. Pavithra Wanniarchchi,
Minister of Health,
Ministry of Health,
Colombo.

Dear Madam

Unacceptable behaviour of Brigadier K. K. S. Parakum

It is sad to inform you that Brigadier K. K. S. Parakum had visited district hospital Sampathnuwara and abused head of the institution and other medical officers පර දෙමළා, ප්‍රභාකරන්, ත්‍රස්තවාදීන්, තොපි මරණවා. මේක මගේ ඒ්රියා එක [ Bloody Tamil, Prabhakaran, Terrorists, I will kill you all, This is my area – SLB]

We remind that the era during the war all our doctors treated the military with dignity to ensure the moral and medical backup to armed forces and police to combat terrorism in our motherland.

However the behaviour of brigadier K. K. S. Parakum has failed to the expected standards of disciplinary of our armed forces and fail to ensure the dignity of doctors and fellow citizens.

Here we attached our communication to Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva on 26. 10. 2020 for necessary action.

Since the situation at DH Sampathnuwara is not rectified we are compelled to withdraw the services at DH Sampathnuwara as trade union measures considering the safety of our members.

We request your good offices’ to take necessary measures to ensure safe working conditions of this institution for the best interest of the patients.

Thank you,
Yours faithfully
Dr Senal Fernando
Secretary

Wimal Weerawansa says he has fullest trust on the government's patriotism

Addressing a press conference held in Colombo today, National Freedom Front (NPP) leader Wimal Weerawansa accused opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and People's Liberation Front (JVP) of attempting to mislead people regarding the visit of US State Secretary Mike Pompeo. 

Weerawansa said that Pompeo had told to the press that signing or not signing of Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) was Sri Lanka's choice and that had made the opposition disillusioned. 

The NPP leader said he had the fullest trust on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the government regarding safeguarding the national interests before any kind of international pressure.

Weerawansa said that he had not been panic with the visit of US State Secretary because the issue had been discussed in the cabinet and the President had assured MCC would not be signed. Even the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardane had discussed the talking points of his speech with the cabinet. 

Weerawansa further assured that his party would not be a partner of a government coalition that signs any adverse agreement like MCC, SOFA or ACSA.  

Pharmacies banned to sell two drugs without prescriptions from specialist doctors

Sri Lanka National Drug Control Board has informed all the pharmacies not to sell two drugs with the written prescriptions of specialist doctors. 

The drugs are Chloroquine and Hydroxy Cloroquine. 

Some people believe these two drugs will help to be safe from COVID-19. National Drug Control Board rejects the claim

Sri Lanka exceeds number of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients; increasing the capacity

Sri Lanka exceeded the first-stage capacity of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients. 

The country has a capacity for 5,000 COVID-19 patients and the number of patients exceeded 5,000 yesterday. 

The health authorities are increasing the capacity of the hospitals under the second stage to handle more cases. 

For example, the government announced it had converted the non-functioning Batticaloa Campus premises in Valachchanai into a hospital for COVID-19 with facilities for 1,200 patients. 

Meanwhile, the cabinet co-spokesman Minister Ramesh Pathirana, a doctor by profession, said that the patients with less complications would be sent to selected quarantine centres. He said that 75 to 80 per cent of the COVID-19 patients had not shown symptoms. 

COVID-19 spread from Minuwangoa cluster has declned.

Acting Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said that the COVID-19 spread in the country from Minuwangoa cluster has declined. 

He said that the situation would be controlled in the coming few days. 

However, it will take a long time to come back to normalcy, he said.

He expected the cases found in Gampaha district would gradually decline.

Defense, a top priority in bilateral talks between Sri Lanka and US

Both US State Secretary and Sri Lankan President indicated that defence was on top of the points discussed in the bilateral talks between the two states. 

“We had a wide-ranging discussion on our security cooperation which helps keep some of the worlds vital sea lanes open,” the US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said adding “a strong and powerful Sri Lanka is a strategic partner for the United States on the world stage and it can be a beacon for an open Indo-Pacific”.

Later he tweeted, "My meetings with President @GotabayaR and Foreign Minister Gunawardena reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s pivotal role as an #IndoPacific partner. Together, we’re committed to advancing our shared interests in the region, including security, stability, and prosperity."

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa confirmed in a tweet that the US Defense Secretary Mike Pompeo had discussed defence corporation while the opposition and the sections in the government itself are protesting signing SOFA, ACSA and MCC agreements with US.

The President's tweet is as follows: " Engaged in a forward looking & a cordial interaction with @SecPompeo this morning. Appreciate @SecPompeo ’s stance on the need 2 strengthen the bilateral relationship & support 4 defence cooperation. Value @SecPompeo ’s views on assistance 4 investment & our development needs."

With a scathing attack at China, Pompeo went as far as to brand the Chinese Communist Party a predator in his statement to media after the talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardane.  

Entire Western Province of Sri Lanka to come under curfew

Sri Lanka government has imposed quarantine curfew to entire Western Province since midnight 29th October until 5 a.m. of 2nd November, Government Information Department announced. 

The curfew already imposed in some police areas is due to continue beyond November 2nd.