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President wants compensation from countries that recruit Lankan docs
ECONOMYNEXT –Amid reports of rising brain drain, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed government officials to devise a strategy to seek compensation from foreign nations that recruit Sri Lankan doctors.
Speaking at a discussion with health ministry officials on Thursday August 03, President Wickremesinghe proposed that the matter be raised at World Health Organisation (WHO sessions and at other international fora.
“Can’t we make a case at the next WHO? Press it for other countries also. You’re taking our doctors. At least give us two more medical faculties,” said Wickremesinghe.
“I think together with the foreign ministry, you should make this case and we should press it at different fora,” he added.
The compensation mechanism can be similar to the Loss & Damage Fund that was established at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP27), the president said.
“Your people are leaving. That’s not our fault. England is producing so many; they’re not staying,” he said.
“Either change your system and keep your doctors or otherwise compensate us for that,” he added.
Wickremesinghe advised the officials present to discuss the matter with the Health Ministry secretary next week.
“If you get this established, you can get the engineering schools also,” he said.
A new Medical Act was also proposed at the meeting, to be formulated within six months with a view to addressing inadequacies in the existing Medical Ordinance.
The president’s media division (PMD) said in a statement that a high-level committee comprising the Secretary of Health, Legal Draftsman, and President of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), has been assigned to examine the provisions of the Medical Ordinance and formulate the new Medical Act with appropriate provisions.To address immediate medical needs, an additional allocation of Rs. 30 billion was approved for medical supplies under the Provision to Ministry of Health, sufficient for the next three months, the PMD said.
On President Wickremesinghe’s directions to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to expedite the approval process for FDA-approved drugs and reference drugs from other countries that collaborated with the Health Ministry, the NMRA sought to obtain cabinet approval to make the necessary amendments to the NMRA Act that will ensure faster access to critical medications, the statement said.
According to the statement, the meeting also resolved the issue of staff shortage at the NMRA, with the president calling for a detailed report to strengthen the role of the NMRA in regulating medical products and ensuring public health safety.
Efforts to improve medicine distribution and inventory management were discussed, with the president emphasising the need for a web-based system to provide real-time information on available medicines and their distribution among hospitals with immediate effect as discussed during the meeting two weeks ago, the PMD said.
A five- member committee led by Deputy Secretary to the Treasury A K Seneviratne was appointed to, among other tasks, devise a simple and transparent scheme for the procurement of quality drugs and medical devices, it added.
The Ministry of Health has requested the Department of Management Services to amend the Service Minute to align nurse recruitment qualifications with current healthcare requirements and, according to the PMD, the President urged at Thursday’s meeting with the health officials to consider recruiting and training individuals with Arts and Commerce Stream qualifications as nurses.
Wickremesinghe has also instructed the Health Ministry and the NMRA to draft a proposal for establishing WHO standard benchmark level 4 to assess the quality, safety and efficacy of medical products.
Latest News
Heat index, is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology at 3.30 p.m. 27 April 2025, valid for 28 April 2025
The public are warned that the Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated. Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.
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People have now started to think of themselves as Sri Lankans sans ethnic or religious divisions- PM
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that for the first time in history, mosques in Kandy had opened their doors to accommodate the needs of devotees visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and that people have now started to think of themselves as Sri Lankans beyond dividing into ethnicities and religions.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a public gathering held in the Paragahadeniya area in Kurunegala.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated:
“This country is undergoing a transformation we expected,so accordingly, we must operate in new ways. People are beginning to feel that we must work towards a new transformation. We can see this change even within our ministries. These days, sometimes when we visit ministries even after 5 PM, and ask if it is possible to have discussions, the officials are always open. Today, public officials are willing to work late into the night, until 9 or 10 PM. Officials have now started working without fear.
Remarkably, for the first time in history, Muslim mosques in Kandy remained open throughout the night to accommodate pilgrims visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. They even provided space for devotees to rest. There were no ethnic or religious tensions. What we saw was respect for other ethnicities and religions. This is happening because there is now a sense of a government that represents all Sri Lankan people, not just Sinhalese, Muslims, or Tamils”.
The event was attended by the candidates for the local government election including the residents of the area.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has urged the NPP government to prevent Japan’s Onomichi Dockyard Company from selling its 51% ownership stake in the Colombo Dockyard Limited (CDL) to Indian government-owned Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, a leading shipbuilder.
FSP spokesman Pubudu Jayagoda told The Island yesterday (27) that the move seemed to be in line with the overall India-Sri Lanka understanding on the basis of the recently signed memorandum on defence cooperation.
Against the backdrop of deteriorating financial situation, the Japanese company has informed the board of directors of CDL of its plans to divest its 51 percent ownership stake in the international shipbuilding and repair company. The Japanese shipbuilder made the announcement in early Dec last year.
Alleging that an agreement has been reached on the sale of Onomichi’s controlling ownership stake to the Indian ship builder, Jayagoda questioned
the move as Mazagon primarily built a range of warships and attack submarines. Jayagoda pointed out that according to Mazagon’s profile, the Indian government-owned business undertaking was involved with European companies engaged in ship and submarine construction.
Addressing a Local Government election meeting at Weeraketiya, Pallekanda, in support of those contesting the May 6 election on the ticket of Jana Aragala Sandhanaya (JAS), the executive committee member of JAS Jayagoda emphasized that in terms of the agreement between Sri Lanka and Japan, Onomichi couldn’t sell its stake without the Sri Lankan government’s approval. Therefore, the NPP government should intervene to halt the Japanese-Indian move, the FSP spokesman said while urging the parliamentary opposition to publicly oppose the planned sale of the Japanese stake.
Among other stakeholders are Sri Lanka Insurance, Sri Lanka Ports Authority and EPF.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Heat index, is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in Eastern and North-central provinces and Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts
People have now started to think of themselves as Sri Lankans sans ethnic or religious divisions- PM
Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Eastern and North-central provinces and in Vavuniya, Mullaittivu and Kurunegala districts.
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