News

Private hospitals too suffer from current crisis

Published

4 years ago

2022/03/29

By Thushara Athapattu

President of the Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes (APHNH) Dr. Ananda Kuruppuarachchi said yesterday private hospitals were experiencing difficulties owing to the prevailing medicine shortages.

Dr Kuruppuarachchi said, “The situation has led to acute shortages of many registered medicines. The medicine distribution network that catered to the private hospitals has been hit hard and as a result sometimes we have to wait for days to obtain medicine needed for out-patients.”

“Several medicines are in short supply. Some of the most essential medicines are out of stock. We have not been informed when they will be available.

“Private hospitals are facing severe hardships because there is no medicine and some medicinal equipment due to the dollar crisis. The prices of various tests and services could increase in the near future though we have not made any such decision for price revisions. We are actually in a very difficult position; there is a shortage of medicines and equipment and their prices have increased. In a situation where our patients have been hit hard by an economic crisis, it is very difficult to make up our minds to increase the prices of services we provide. Then the only available option is to discontinue our services, which again would result in job losses.”

Dr. Kuruppuarachchi said that his association had written to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently pointing out the problems the private hospital administrators were facing. “There is also a dearth of trained nurses. We need to initiate and expand training programmes and intensive care training courses for nurses in the private sector. The APHNH is ready to take the initiative to introduce training for private sector nurses,” he said.

To this end, APHNH is in the process of collaborating with the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) and other industry stakeholders to establish a Nurses’ Training Institute. Among several courses and internationally recogsed qualifications provided, the Association plans to cater to the need for intensive care training.

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News

Treasury chief’s citizenship details sought from Australia

Published

4 mins ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Nagananda / Harshana

New controversy erupts over missing USD 2.5 mn:

Public interest activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has sought citizenship details of Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma from the Department of Home Affairs, Australia.

According to a letter dated 28 April, addressed to the relevant department, Solicitor England and Wales Kodituwakku sought the required information in terms of Section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act No 3 of 1982 of Australia. Suriyapperuma is also the Secretary to the Treasury.

The former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Suriyapperuma (from November 2024 to June 2025) is embroiled in a deepening controversy over the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.

The leader of the Vinivida Foundation said that he intended to move court against Suriyapperuma for entering Parliament through the NPP National List in violation of the country’s Constitution (Article 91(1)(d)(xiiii).

Kodituwakku said: “This is clearly an accountability and integrity issue and violation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and also this act contravenes the law of a member in the Commonwealth.”

USD 2.5 mn paid to a third party was meant to be an instalment of a loan taken from Australia. Suriyapperuma neither responded to an SMS nor answered his hand phone.

Geetha Kumarasinghe (UPFA/Galle District) and Diana Gamage (SJB National List) lost their seats in 2017 and 2024, respectively, over citizenship issues.

Meanwhile, public interest group ‘Free Lawyers’ that exposed the theft of Treasury funds questioned the failure on the part of Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), to pressure President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to temporarily remove Suriyapperuma to facilitate unhindered investigations.

On behalf of ‘Free Lawyers’, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday expressed concern over the way the CoPF, under SJBer de Silva’s leadership, handled the issue at hand. Issuing an open letter, Tennakoon, urged the CoPF chief to explain his stand on a spate of vital issues which needed to be addressed without any further delay.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara

Published

6 mins ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara (Sue Tue Nhan) at the conclusion of the 161 km ‘International Peace Walk’ in Colombo yesterday. The Bo-sapling will be taken to the US by the spiritual leader. Pic by Sujata Jayaratne

News

USD 625,000 meant for US Postal Service goes missing

Published

7 mins ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday revealed that a USD 625,000 payment made by Sri Lanka’s Department of Posts to the US Postal Service (USPS) had not been received by the intended party.

The declaration was made at the post-Cabinet media briefing.

According to the Minister, an investigation has been initiated into the incident.

The Minister said that an investigation was underway within the Sri Lanka Postal Department regarding the missing funds paid to the US Postal Service.

He added that the US Postal Service has indicated the non-receipt of a payment amounting to USD 625,000, and that investigations were being conducted by both the Postal Department and the CID to determine how the incident occurred.