News
Lanka-born Dr Hareen de Silva has been honoured with British Empire Medal at Queen’s Birthday Honours
Lanka born Dr Hareen de Silva has been honoured with a British Empire Medal at the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his work as a Nightingale doctor on the frontline of the coronavirus response.
A report published by the Ford Recorder, quoted Dr. De Silva, a General Practitioner (GP), who was at the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic, as an NHS Nightingale doctor as being surprised and humbled to be awarded a British Empire Medal.
Dr Hareen De Silva, who lives in Barkingside, was among those included on the delayed Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
During his career, the 35-year-old has volunteered as a street doctor offering care to the homeless in Doncaster, during his lunch break in between morning and afternoon surgeries, and worked as a doctor for charity The Kids Village in Costa Rica.
He was set to support a charity expedition with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Gough Island, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean earlier this year.
As the impact of the pandemic was becoming clear, he applied to work on the frontline at NHS Nightingale in the ITU department, knowing the job would take him away from his family and put himself at risk as a BAME doctor.
Dr De Silva told the Recorder: “When I heard I had been nominated for the honours it came out of left field and I was really surprised and humbled.
“I haven’t done any more than other GPs have done and I don’t feel I deserve this any more than all the regular GPs in hospitals.”
Dr De Silva, who is from Sri Lanka, described his family as “big backers” of the royal family and said “my overwhelming thoughts are that I am proud to be an immigrant to have been awarded the honour”.
Once his contract finished at NHS Nightingale in May, he worked for the NHS Track and Trace service before returning to frontline GP work.
He now sees most patients remotely through telephone and video calls as well as some house calls.
He said: “Overnight general practices have become technically savvy to continue treating our patients but there are still plenty of challenges.”
As coronavirus cases are shooting up again he said he was apprehensive about the second wave.
“The NHS did well to cope with it the first time around but now we have the extra hurdle of flu season.
“A lot of this now depends on how society responds and follows through with it but I have hope.”
Once the pandemic is over Dr. De Silva hopes to continue his charitable work as a doctor in a refugee camp in Greece.
Protesting Development Officers continued their hunger strike near the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo yesterday (01), for the seventh consecutive day.The protesters, who are members of the Lanka School Development Officers’ Association, are demanding that they be absorbed into the teacher service as they have served as teachers in state-run schools for nearly seven years.
Secretary of the Association, Viraj Manaranga, said the protesters were seeking an urgent meeting with the President. He added that a presidential aide had visited the protest site and offered to arrange for a meeting with the President on 03 Feb., but the union insisted on an earlier date. Manaranga warned that failure to grant a meeting could trigger a massive protest in Colombo today (02).
Four officers participating in the hunger strike have been hospitalised due to deteriorating health, while two more joined the fast on Saturday (31).
In a bid to raise awareness of their grievances, on 30 January a delegation of the All Island Development Officers’ Association visited Most Venerable
Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera, Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, and subsequently with the Chapter’s Registrar, Ven. Dr. Medagama Dhammananda Thera. The prelates said promises that had been made to them should be fulfilled.
The protest began on 26 January as a satyagraha, after authorities failed to respond to repeated requests to integrate the officers into the teaching service. The escalation into a fast-unto-death underscores the protesters’ frustration over the prolonged delay
by Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon
The long-vacant post of Auditor General would be filled on 03 Feb., after months of controversy and delays, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake said on Friday (31) in Kandy.
The Constitutional Council met at the Parliamentary complex on Friday to discuss the appointment but failed to reach a decision on a suitable candidate. The President had previously proposed four names on four separate occasions, all of which were rejected. The Council is now set to consider the fifth nominee.
The post has remained vacant since April 2025, following the retirement of Chulanta Wickramaratne, who served as the 41st Auditor General. More than 10 months have passed without a permanent appointment.
Sources said a female officer in the Auditor General’s Department has been nominated again, though her previous recommendation was rejected due to some allegations against her.
Meanwhile, senior audit officer Dharmapala Gammanpila, with 31 years of service and the department’s most senior official, has received backing from the Mahanayake Theras of the three Nikayas, the Maha Sangha, and several civil society groups for appointment as the 42nd Auditor General.
Sources noted that the three civil society representatives on the Constitutional Council will play a crucial role in the final decision.
by Chaminda Silva and SK Samaranayake
Two 18-year-old youth were arrested by the Southern Division of the Western Province Crime Division on 31 January for allegedly aiding and abetting two murders carried out in Dehiwala and Kohuwala. ICE (crystal meth) was found in their possession at the time of arrest.
The suspects are residents of Mount Lavinia and Boralesgamuwa, according to the police. They are accused of having helped carry out a murder at a hotel in the Dehiwala Police Division on 9 January, 2026, and an attack on a person travelling in a three-wheeler at Bodhiyawatta, Kohuwala, on 12 December, 2025.
Police said the charges included sending photographs of the victims to a criminal living overseas.
Investigations revealed that the youth had acted under the direction of a criminal known as Sando.
Under the guidance of Janaka Kumara, Director of the Southern Division of the Western Province Crime Division, investigations are being led by Police Inspector Hemanta Kumara, assisted by Sub-Inspectors Prasanna Gunathilaka and Prasanna (40248), and Constables Chaminda (72987), Anil (79598), Kumar (88762), and Senanayake (19363), who are continuing the probe.
by Norman Palihawadane and Chaminda Silva
Showers expected in the Northern, North-central, Eastern, Western, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Central provinces
Development Officers threaten to intensify their protest
Auditor General to be appointed tomorrow
Two arrested for aiding and abetting murder
CID summons former First Lady again
Remembering Upali Wijewardene, founder of Upali Group of Companies
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
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