News

Covid crisis at Kalubowila hospital exposes inordinate delay in completing new wing

Published

5 years ago

2021/08/10

Sahan Weerasooriya

Seven storeyed building still under construction

… Audit queries didn’t expedite construction

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The crisis at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital at Kalubowila, where the hospital administration struggled to cope up with rapid inflow of Covid-19 patients has highlighted the inordinate delay in completing a seven-storeyed building at the hospital premises under construction since 2006.

Sources told The Island that work had been seriously hindered by much delayed payments over a period of time and poor supervision on the part of successive Health Ministries. The project launched during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency was to be completed by 2008.

Although the Auditor General’s Department pointed out serious shortcomings and malpractices, successive governments hadn’t taken remedial measures, sources said.

During this period Nimal Siripala de Silva, Maithripala Sirisena, Tissa Attanayake and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne served as health ministers. The incumbent is Pavitra Wanniarachchi.

However, other sources said that State Engineering Corporation (SEC), despite several rounds of talks with Health Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi, hadn’t been able to complete the project.

Responding to another query, sources pointed out that the incumbent Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena had been Director of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital for several years before he succeeded Dr. Anil Jasinghe late last year.

Meanwhile, security authorities expressed concern over the public wearing worn-out masks and the danger posed by the large number of Covid-19 infected persons arriving at the vaccination centres. They stressed the need to take precautions to prevent vaccination facilities becoming centres of new Covid clusters.

State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Prof. Channa Jayasumana over the last weekend visited the Colombo South Teaching Hospital to examine the situation. Acknowledging the daunting task in meeting the growing Covid-19 threat, Prof. Jayasumana explained the vaccination drive was in full swing. The academic said that as the next three weeks would be critical, the government needed the backing of all to bring the situation under control. According to the State Minister, the recent trouble at the Colombo South Hospital had been temporary and measures were being taken to improve the situation.

Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Hemantha Herath yesterday (9) told a media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau that some hospitals were being overwhelmed and action would be taken to remedy the situation.

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News

Animal Welfare Draft Bill to be Gazetted

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.

Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.

Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.

News

Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed

Published

8 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.

It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.

Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.

Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions

• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981

News

Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Published

9 hours ago

2026/06/24

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.

Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.