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Hospitals fighting Covid-19 receive significant EU boost

Published

4 years ago

2021/08/13

WHO and EU working together to assist SL

Sri Lanka, struggling to cope up with the raging Covid-19 epidemic continues to receive international help. China, India, Japan, US, Germany and Australia are among the donors of a range of medicine and equipment. In addition to bilateral assistance, the EU and WHO too provided significant support.

The following is the text of a statement issued by the EU regarding what it called critical emergency medical equipment that had been made available to 78 hospitals across the country: “Assistance was provided through a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU). These include high dependency unit (HDU) beds, finger pulse oximeters, oxygen concentrators, oxygen jumbo cylinders, and other urgent supplies.

The supplies are part of a EUR 2 million EU grant provided to WHO for support to strengthen emergency response capacities in Sri Lanka. The funding has been made available on flexible terms to allow for responsiveness to country needs as demonstrated by this EUR 480,000 procurement of urgently needed supplies for COVID-19 case management.

As a comprehensive approach to case management, the EU grant is also being used to strengthen health worker capacities. Based on the potential of e-learning as highlighted during the COVID-19 experience and with technical support from WHO, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has established a virtual learning management information system (LMIS). The LMIS has enhanced all 43 MoH training centers, already reaching more than 12,000 health workers currently undergoing training and shall reach an additional 5,000 new recruits every year. Further, WHO’s global learning networks will be used to facilitate access to resources for Sri Lankan health care workers as well as enable Sri Lankan courses to be shared worldwide.

The WHO-EU collaboration also supports key community-centred activities for resilient health systems including risk communication and, notably, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing.

Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Denis Chaibi said, “I’m very pleased that EU funding has been reallocated to address critical needs arising from the latest wave of infections in Sri Lanka. The EU and the WHO are working together to ensure that our support can rapidly assist people affected in order to help address the spread of the disease.”

Dr Alaka Singh, WHO Representative to Sri Lanka, stated that “WHO appreciates the European Union’s partnership for collaborative support to Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 effort. Particularly notable is the flexibility of EU funding that allows responsiveness to immediate country needs during this unpredictable pandemic. This has been seen with the supply of urgent life-saving equipment to hospitals across the country. At the same time, longer-term support continues, making important contributions to strengthening resilience in Sri Lanka’s health system.

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Heat index is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota, Jaffna, Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Kurunegala districts

Published

3 hours ago

2025/04/27

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 26 April 2025, valid for 27 April 2025.

The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Monaragala, Hambantota, Jaffna, Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Kurunegala districts.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED

Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

Latest News

Minister of Foreign Affairs pays his last respects to Pope Francis

Published

4 hours ago

2025/04/27

Priyan

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath represented Sri Lanka at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday [26]

News

RW to visit CIABOC on Monday

Published

5 hours ago

2025/04/27

Thilina Walpola

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe will appear before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC) tomorrow (28) over the statement he had made on MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, his lawyers have informed the Commission.

Accordingly, the former President will appear before the commission at 9.30am on Monday.

Wickremesinghe was initially summoned by the Commission to CIABOC on April 17 in relation to a statement he had made about the corruption case filed against NDF (gas cylinder) MP Dassanayake.

In response to the previous summons, Wickremesinghe had indicated that he is prepared to appear before the commission but requested a different date citing that his lawyers will not be available in Colombo during the New Year holiday period.

Accordingly, a new was provided and Wickremesinghe requested to appear before the commission at 09.30 a.m. on Thursday (April 25).On April 7, Wickremesinghe had said that MP Dassanayake withdrew the fixed deposits belonging to the Uva Provincial Council, over which he is now facing corruption charges, in accordance with a circular issued during Wickremesingher’s tenure as Prime Minister.

The former President questioned whether the MP’s arrest over the matter was in response to Dassanayake’s vocal criticism of the government in parliament.

The sitting MP is currently in remand custody for allegedly misappropriating a sum of Rs. 1 million of the Uva Provincial Council in 2016.

He was taken into custody on March 27, over three separate corruption-related cases.

The Colombo Magistrate’s Court previously granted bail in the cases filed against him but he remains in remand custody due to an order issued by the Badulla Magistrate’s Court.

According to the CIABOC, Dassanayake had solicited funds from three state banks, claiming they were intended to provide bags for preschool children in the province.

Two banks complied, granting him Rs. 1 million and Rs. 2.5 million, which were later transferred to his foundation account.

However, when a third bank refused to provide funds, Dassanayake reportedly retaliated by withdrawing the Uva Provincial Council’s fixed deposits from that institution.The CIABOC filed a case against the MP, citing the government incurred a financial loss of Rs. 17.3 million due to his actions.