News

SL warned of double-whammy

Published

5 years ago

2021/08/5

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Sri Lanka Health Education Officers’ Association (SLHEOA) yesterday warned the government that it needed to take immediate steps to curb the spread of dengue.

Given that the health sector capacity has already been stretched to its limits because of COVID-19, it would not be able to cope with a dengue outbreak, Secretary of the Association Prasad Ariyaratne said.

He said compared to 2020, there was an increase in dengue cases reported in the country. Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kurunegala, Kandy, Matara, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle and Hambantota districts were the most affected by dengue, Ariyaratne said.

“About 70% of the cases are reported from the Western Province. We also know that the highest number of COVID-19 cases has been reported from the same areas. Already COVID-19 has stretched health staff to the brink of collapse, and we feel that an outbreak of dengue would overwhelm the entire health system,” he said.

Ariyarathne said that usually health officials carried out dengue eradication programmes with the participation of all stakeholders by May each year. However, due to the spread of COVID-19, there had been no such programme.

“Health officials and security forces are focused on controlling COVID-19. However, this is not a reason to ignore dengue. Government officials and elected representatives at the grassroots level must face the challenge. Members of the general public must also act responsible and keep the environment clean and free from mosquito breeding places.

All News Advertisement

News

Some CEB unions launch 24-hour strike

Published

2 mins ago

2026/03/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

A section of trade unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) withdrew from all services at 3 pm yesterday, for a 24-hour period.

The General Secretary of the CEB’s Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Samgamaya, Prabath Priyantha, said that they had resorted to a strike to pressure the government to comply with the collective agreement and address their other grievances.

News

Sajin remanded over alleged illegal accumulation of assets worth Rs. 243 mn

Published

4 mins ago

2026/03/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sajin Vass

Former Monitoring Member of Parliament for the Ministry of External Affairs Sajin Vass Gunawardena was arrested yesterday by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over allegations of earning illegal assets worth Rs. 243.8 million.

The ex-parliamentarian was arrested when he arrived at the CIABOC (09) to give a statement regarding alleged accumulation of assets through allegedly illegal means.

He was remanded until 24 March by the Colombo Chief Magistrate, Asanga S Bodaragama.

News

Twenty two IRIS Dena survivors leave hospital

Published

5 mins ago

2026/03/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

image courtesy Al Jazeera

Twenty two of the Iranian naval personnel receiving treatment at the Karapitiya National Hospital were discharged from hospital on Saturday (7), hospital Director S.D.U.M. Ranga said.

Thirty two Iranian Navy personnel who were injured in an attack on a vessel belonging to the Iranian Navy had been admitted to the Karapitiya National Hospital.

The Hospital Director said 22 of the injured sailors had recovered and were discharged, while 10 others were still receiving treatment.

He also said that one critically injured sailor had been transferred to a ward.

The post-mortem examinations of the 84 deceased sailors have been completed, and the bodies have been placed inside two refrigerated containers within the hospital premises, he added.