News
Presidential aide accuses trade unions of exaggerating brain drain
Presidential Director General (Community Affairs), Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday said several unions had exaggerated the number of professionals leaving the country.
Tennakoon said the number of medical officers who had obtained no-pay leave according to the Public Administration Circular No. 14/2022, or had not returned to work after obtaining no-pay leave or been released from the Ministry of Health, since 2021 stood at 289.
“This is the actual number of all medical specialists who received leave in the last three years. But the GMOA claims that over 270 specialists have left the country in a single year,” Tennakoon said.
Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe, the Spokesperson of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said 842 Grade Medical Officers (Senior Medical Officers) had resigned and migrated during the past 12 months.
Tennakoon said: “This is also a falsehood. The actual number of medical officers who have left the service since 2021 2023 is 437. The number of medical officers who have tendered resignation is 149. Meanwhile, 934 have received foreign leave with no pay under the procedure mentioned in the Establishment Code and Public Administration Circular No. 14/2022.”
Tennakoon said 21 Dental Surgeons had left the service during the past three years. The number of resignations is 12. Another 39 Dental Surgeons had migrated after obtaining no-pay leave.
“The approved cadre of Nursing Officers is 45,367, out of which 42,253 are in service. During the period from 2021 to 31 August 2023, 557 Nursing Officers vacated their post; five have resigned. About 434 Nursing Officers have obtained no-pay leave under a formal procedure for foreign employment,” he said.
Tennakoon added that 2,574 Specialist Medical Officers (90.3 percent of the approved cadre of 2,851) were currently in service. He said about 20,907 of Medical Officers (92.8 percent of the approved cadres of 22,535) were in service, and 1,585 Dental Surgeons ((89.6 percent of the cadre of 1,769) were in the country. About 10 percent of vacancies had not been filled in the Health Sector, Tennakoon said.
“The highest number of vacancies in the health sector exists in Allied Health Services. There should be 1,103 Radiologists, but there are only 694 (62.9 percent of the cadre). There should be 58 Audiologists, but only 35 (60 percent of the cadre) are in service. There should be 2,306 Pharmacists, but there are (87.7 percent of the cadre of 2,022)).
Tennakoon said after the 1971 insurrection, 37 percent, 36 percent and 45 percent of the Medical Graduates produced in Sri Lanka in 1972, 1973 and 1974, respectively, migrated to the UK. In 1971, 75 out of 165 Engineers produced in Sri Lanka migrated to the UK.
“There is no such trend in migration of Medical Officers today. From 1980 and 2009, 11 percent of the Specialist Medical Officers produced in Sri Lanka migrated.
News
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (07) are Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon.
By Norman Palihawadane
The CID recently found that former SLPP Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, better known as ‘Choka Malli’, had left for Thailand when the Supreme Court imposed an overseas travel ban on him last Friday.
The CID discovered that Jayasekara had left Sri Lanka on August 31, while authorities were taking steps to enforce the travel restriction imposed by the Supreme Court. The Department has subsequently informed the Attorney General’s Department of the development.
The Supreme Court last Friday ordered Jayasekara, and two other men, to appear before court on October 21, and imposed a ban on their overseas travel.
The orders were made as the Supreme Court considered an appeal challenging the acquittal of the three men in connection with the 2015 murder of Shantha Dodangoda, also known as D.G. Sunil Perera.
The appeal was filed by Dodangoda’s wife against a decision of the Court of Appeal to acquit and release Jayasekara and the two other accused, who had previously been convicted and sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court.
Dodangoda was killed in a shooting in Kahawatta town, in the early hours of January 5, 2015, while a group of people were putting up decorations for an election rally in support of then common Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena.
Two others, Karunadasa Weerasinghe and Mohamed Ilfan, were seriously injured in the shooting.
Following the incident, the Ratnapura High Court convicted Jayasekara, former Chairman of the Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha Wajira Darshana de Silva, and former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilanta Jayakody, sentencing all three to death.
The Court of Appeal subsequently acquitted the three men and ordered their release.
The victim’s wife later challenged the acquittal before the Supreme Court.
The appeal was taken up before a Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Gihan Kulatunga.
During the proceedings, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara requested that the court impose overseas travel restrictions on Jayasekara and the other respondents.
The Supreme Court subsequently ordered all three to appear before the court on October 21 and imposed travel bans on them.
President’s Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty, President’s Counsel U.R. de Silva and President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne appeared for the respondents. President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris represented the aggrieved party.
Police sources said that the discovery that Jayasekara had already left for Thailand, on August 31, has raised concerns over the timing and enforcement of the travel ban.
Sources said that the CID had notified the Attorney General’s Department and was taking further action in relation to the development.
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon
The number of deaths from dengue fever in Sri Lanka has risen to 73 this year, with 96,228 cases reported across the country so far, according to the Dengue Control Unit.
The latest figures indicate that dengue continues to pose a significant public health concern, with 737 new cases recorded during the first four days of September alone.
Dengue infections peaked in July, when 29,964 cases were reported, according to the latest data. June recorded the second-highest monthly total, with 21,533 cases, while 10,155 cases were reported in August.
Earlier in the year, 8,590 cases were recorded in May and 7,866 cases in January.The Western Province remains the worst-affected area, accounting for more than half of all dengue cases reported nationwide. A total of 50,851 cases have been recorded in the province, representing 52.84% of the country’s total.
The Southern Province has recorded 13,950 cases, followed by the Central Province with 8,818 cases and Sabaragamuwa Province with 7,925 cases.
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in the Uva and Eastern provinces.
Harshitha’s composed knock seals Sri Lanka’s semi-final berth
‘Choka Malli’ slips out of country before travel ban
Dengue death toll rises to 73
Ranil accuses govt. of undermining democracy
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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