News
JVP : Health Ministry hierarchy has become a cat’s paw to manipulate pandemic statistics
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP on Thursday claimed that the Health Ministry hierarchy- Secretary, Director General of Health Services, and Chief Epidemiologist had become a cat’s paw of the government to manipulate statistics pertaining to the Covid mortality and positive cases.
Addressing a press conference held at the JVP Headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP politburo member and former Kalutara District MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the three officials as the heads of the Health Ministry had a responsibility to reveal true statistics pertaining to the pandemic, as they were educated with taxpayers’ money. “We appeal to them to respect what they have learnt. Don’t become machines that spread false statistics on the Government’s political agendas. You have a responsibility on behalf of the people. You need to reveal the true information you receive. We know that you are silent before the President and Covid Task Force. That silence resulted in losing more and more people’s lives day by day. So, we urge you three being the heads of the Health Ministry to reveal the truth,” he said.
Dr. Jayatissa said that revealing true statistics would help save many lives of people and force them to a self-lockdown.
Data and information on Covid deaths and positive cases were manipulated according to the need of the President, he alleged.
He also said the President had got the Health Ministry officials to convince people that the virus had not spread in the community as yet.
He said not only the physical resources such as ICU, oxygen and ventilators, but also human resources were also becoming insufficient to treat the escalating number of Covid patients.
“Hospital staff is also becoming prey to Covid-19. More than 200 doctors and 4,000 nurses and minor staff have been infected with the virus across the country. This shows that the hospitals cannot afford to have any further spikes in Covid cases. As of Wednesday, 28 staff members, including eight doctors of the Homagama hospital, have been infected. Of those eight doctors, four were attached to the ICU. On the same day 265 staff members, including 27 doctors and 105 nurses of the National Hospital, in Colombo, were among the infected. Since the nursing staff members were infected, the hospital cannot maintain their duty shifts. The government should close down the country immediately, if not people should go for a self-lockdown,” Dr. Jayatissa said.
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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