News
Disaster management: Govt. allocates one million rupees per DS division
By Ifham Nizam
The government had allocated one million rupees per each District Secretariat initially to repair houses, etc., damaged due to heavy rains that wreaked havoc in some parts of the country, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) Assistant Director Pradeep Kodippili said yesterday.
Kodippili told The Island that unlike on previous occasions, damages were minimal. Nearly 43,000 people from some 11,074 families have been affected due to heavy rains on Friday and Saturday. About 853 people from 205 families are currently being sheltered in welfare centres.
The Meteorological Department yesterday forecast several spells of showers in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and North-western provinces today.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places in the Central, Uva, Eastern and North-central provinces during the evening or night.
A Few showers will occur in the Northern Province.
Water levels of several rivers have risen and floods have occurred in some areas owing to the prevailing rainy weather in the country. However, the latest weather report says it is receding in most parts.
The DMC earlier said that the water levels of the Kelani, Kalu, Gin, and Nilwala rivers had risen and the Gin has burst its banks in the Baddegama area.
A minor flood situation has arisen due to the overflowing of the Kalu Ganga in the Millakanda area as well.
Water levels of Attanagalu Oya and Maha Oya have risen and a minor flood situation has occurred due to the overflow of Attanagalu Oya in the Dunamale area.
The adverse weather prevailing in the country since May 13 has affected 61 Divisional Secretariat areas in seven districts.
Four persons were killed and two were injured due to the inclement weather.
The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued landslide warnings in six districts with effect from Saturday.
Accordingly, several areas in Colombo, Kalutara, Matara, Galle, Kegalle, and Ratnapura Districts have been declared as landslide-prone areas.
The Ministry of Power said that the power supply to nearly 150,000 families had been cut off due to inclement weather. The CEB has also received more than 200,000 complaints regarding power breakdowns etc.
Ministry’s spokesman Sulakshana Jayawardena said that measures had already been taken to restore the power supply.
BBC reported that Rebel police officers rioted in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday following the killing of more than a dozen colleagues by criminal gangs.
The rioting officers blame the government for not taking action.
More than 100 demonstrators blocked streets, burned tyres, broke security cameras and damaged vehicles.
Local media said several officers broke through the gates of the prime minister’s residence and attempted to enter Haiti’s international airport.
Fourteen officers are thought to have died since the start of the year in various gang attacks on police stations.
Seven officers were killed in shootout on Wednesday alone, according to Haiti’s National Police.
BBC reported that archaeologists say they have found a gold leaf-covered mummy sealed inside a sarcophagus that had not been opened for 4,300 years.
The mummy, the remains of a man named Hekashepes, is thought to be one of the oldest and most complete non-royal corpses ever found in Egypt.
It was discovered down a 15m (50ft) shaft at a burial site south of Cairo, Saqqara, where three other tombs were found.
One tomb belonged to a “secret keeper”.
The largest of the mummies that were unearthed at the ancient necropolis is said to belong to a man called Khnumdjedef – a priest, inspector and supervisor of nobles.
Another belonged to a man called Meri, who was a senior palace official given the title of “secret keeper”, which allowed him to perform special religious rituals.
A judge and writer named Fetek is thought to have been laid to rest in the other tomb, where a collection of what are thought to be the largest statues ever found in the area had been discovered.
Several other items, including pottery, have also been found among the tombs.
Alleging the government has failed to address the developing crisis caused by grave shortage of pharmaceutical drugs, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has called for WHO’s intervention.In a letter dated January 26, 2023, addressed to WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge has raised concerns about shortage of pharmaceutical drugs, escalating prices of medicines and allegations of malpractices and corruption in procurement procedures.
The GMOA has released its letter to the media along with what it called a 10 fold plan formulated by an expert committee set up by the GMOA.
The following are the GMOA’s proposals:
1. To appoint a high-level coordinating committee within the Ministry of Health to ensure effective communications and coordination between following institutions, identified as responsible for the whole exercise. (a) Ministry of Health focal points (b) Medical Supplies Division (MSD) (c) State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) d. State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC) e. National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Monthly progress review meetings of aforementioned committees are to be ensured, with Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Health or his representative. Quarterly review with Minister of Health to facilitate arriving at essential policy decisions.
2. To ensure Transparent Procurement Procedures, where every interested citizen should be entitled to know the true facts.
3. To upgrade the available computer software programme to match the current needs and to ensure more efficiency in procurement procedures.
4. To appoint a technical committee to study Auditor General Reports with regard to procurement Procedures of last 5 years and actions to be declared with specific time frame to implement recommendations of the Auditor General.
5. Review the recent Presidential Investigation Commission reports and initiate urgent actions to file legal action against the respondents. Remove all those officials who are accused through these reports of malpractices, from their current posts, until the verdicts are delivered.
6. To minimise emergency purchases of Medicinal drugs and ensure the transparency of that process through progress reports on emergency purchases, which is to be published on a monthly basis.
7. To identify alternative modes for distribution of pharmaceutical drugs to peripheral stations (e.g.: Public Transport services with identified modifications)
8. To open an “Information Desk” at the Ministry of Health to effectively communicate with and guide the donors of pharmaceutical items.
9. To fill the existing vacancies at National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), following stipulated acceptable pathways and activating all the sub committees within NMRA.
10. To declare a relief package to reduce the prices of essential medicinal drugs, through the upcoming interim budget.
Haiti police riot after crime gangs kill 14 officers
Gold-covered mummy among latest discoveries in Egyptian tomb
Fairly heavy showers in Sabaragamuwa, Central provinces and Ampara, Baticaloa and Badulla districts
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