News
GMOA: Hospitals overflowing with NCD patients
By Samarakoon Bandara
A large number of persons with Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) are not taking prescribed medicines due to economic difficulties, and thus hospitals are filling up due to complications, Dr. Palitha Rajapaksha, the assistant secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) says.
There were about three million people, over 60 years, and they were the most affected by NCDs, Dr. Rajapaksha said, adding that Sri Lanka had very weak social safety nets and many were at the risk of being reduced to poverty.
Dr. Rajapaksha said that he was attached to the Provincial General Hospital, Badulla, and that all wards there were full of patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, etc.
“All wards are full. I don’t know what we would do if the number of dengue cases go up. I have been a doctor for many years, but I have never seen such a large number of patients with NCDs in hospitals,” he said.
Dr. Rajapaksha said a large number of patients could not come to clinics during the COVID pandemic and in the last few months due to fuel shortages.
“They could not be properly examined and treated because of this. Moreover, due to drug shortages in government hospitals, patients have to buy from private pharmacies. However, the price of drugs has skyrocketed and a lot of people can’t afford medicine. Now, we have lost control of NCDs,” he said.
The GMOA official said that the economic downturn is affecting the health sector and the lives of many people are in danger. “Most of the people who tell us that they can’t afford medicines are those who depend on children. Or they are pensioners. A person who makes 50,000 rupees a month can’t spend 20,000 on medicines. In government hospitals we do very little testing now. We can’t even do a simple cholesterol test. The people can’t afford to get these tests done in private institutions. We also have a shortage of inhalers,” he said. Dr. Rajapaksha said due to the current health crisis, a large number of elderly people might die. Already NCDs account for 75% of deaths, he said.
“Some people say COVID vaccine has weakened people’s natural immunity and exacerbated some diseases. I don’t think that’s the case. Not only are people not getting treated on time, people are under great stress because of the dire state of the economy. People don’t know how they will be able to eat or send their kids to school. Continuous mental stress is really bad for health,” he said.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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