News
Side effects of drugs: GMOA accuses health officials of making ‘uneducated guesses’
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Certain senior health officials are making uneducated guesses about recent tragedies involving suspected side effects of drugs, instead of conducting scientific investigations into these incidents, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), media spokesman Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe told The Island on Thursday.
Dr. Wijesinghe said the actions of certain senior officials were undermining the universal free health services offered to the people. These officials are being protected by those in higher seats of power, he added.
“Let’s look at the behaviour of Dr. G. Wijesuriya, who is the Director of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital and the acting Deputy Director General – Medical Service -II. His ineptitude has undermined the efficiency of both these institutions,” Dr. Wijesinghe alleged.
The GMOA media spokeman said Lady Ridgeway Hospital is one of the best hospitals in South Asia. However, in recent times, the quality of facilities available to both patients and staff has deteriorated. There are also shortages in medicine.
“He is enjoying perks and not taking any action. Now he has also been appointed to the Health Ministry to cover the duties of an important position. Dr. Wijesuriya is not a specialist doctor. There are many specialists who have a wealth of experience in administration. Until recently, it was widely acknowledged that a specialist, with a wealth of experience in administration, must be appointed to such key positions. However, Dr. Wijesuriya, who pretends to be a specialist before the media, has caused many issues in the unit he is in charge of. He has involved himself in the transfer of doctors, and that has caused great inconvenience,” he said.
The GMOA spokesperson said that they have officially handed over a letter, highlighting the issues with Dr. Wijesuriya, to the Minister and Secretary. Following this, Dr. Wijesuriya told the media that only a handful of doctors await transfers.
There are about 6,000 doctors who have been greatly inconvenienced by delays in transfers. So right now, about 30 percent of doctors are not working in hospitals where they should be, the GMOA spokesperson said.
“However, Dr. Wijesuriya himself said that in 2021, 60 percent of doctors in lists were transferred. The number is 42 percent in 2022 and 16.5 percent in 2023. These are his numbers. According to his own data, 40 percent of eligible doctors in 2021, 58 percent in 2022, and around 84 percent of doctors in 2023 have not yet been transferred. So about 6,300 doctors have not been transferred in the past three years. This aligns with what we say,” Dr. Wijesinghe said.
There are many issues in hospitals because doctors and other health staff have left the country, and one way of addressing some of these challenges is to make the correct transfers of health staff.
Following a systematic transfer process, officials can identify where the real shortages are, what kind of doctors we lack, and the hospitals that are most in crisis, he said.
“There is a mechanism on transfer of doctors. However, officials and politicians like to meddle with established processes to propagate abuse and corruption. People like Dr. Wijesuriya don’t like systems and processes,” he said.
The GMOA spokesperson said that Dr. Wijesuriya has also expressed opinions on recent deaths of people who died, allegedly due to side effects of drugs.
“Recently a Grade One student from Kelaniya died at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital. Investigations are ongoing and we don’t know what happened. However, before any investigation is complete, Dr. Wijesuriya has opined on her death. This behaviour scares people and undermines their trust in the state healthcare system. Health workers are trying so hard to make the system work and to build people’s trust. There are organized groups that want to destroy the state healthcare system. These groups have agents, and do people like Dr. Wijesuriya work with these groups?” he said.
The Department of Education has announced that the results of the 2024 General Certificate of Education Advanced Level Examination have been released online, and can be viewed on : www.doenets.lk
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the training of teachers required for the new education reforms will commence in May, and that contracts granted to political cronies in local government institutions will be brought to an end following the upcoming local government elections.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing public gatherings held in the areas of Mirigama, Minuwangoda, and Katana in the Gampaha District.
Addressing the gatherings, Prime Minister stated:
“From birth to death, all the aspects of life of a person are handled by local government institutions. However, to this day, these institutions lack proper systems even to provide the people with basic facilities.
We are committed to working with a proper system, free of fraud and corruption, and managing every rupee carefully and attentively. We are identifying the needs of people and implementing projects under a systematic plan to develop rural sectors.
You elect fellow members who stand firmly against fraud and corruption through two decisive elections. First, you elect Anura Kumara as President, a leader committed to fighting corruption. Then, in the parliamentary election, you choose a group of qualified individuals who are equally dedicated to this cause to represent you in Parliament.
To ensure that the funds allocated for rural development reach the people, the local government institutions which are the closest to the villagers must also be clean and transparent. That is why this election is so important to us.
The people and the villages come to experience our corruption-free political culture through local government institutions. These institutions must properly implement, monitor, and evaluate the development projects allocated to the rural sector. The era of awarding contracts for such projects to political cronies must end.
Although early childhood development is a crucial part of education, there has never been a proper system for it. We are now establishing such a system. Starting in May, teacher training for the modern education which is being introduced will begin. We have a comprehensive plan for development across all sectors.
The Ministry of Education has received billions worth of projects, but there is no proper implementation process. For example, 1,500 smart boards were brought for smart classrooms, but the Secretary to the Ministry has not implemented a system to distribute them to schools. Teachers have not been trained to use them. Teacher training institutes still follow outdated curriculum. This will be corrected through the new education reforms,
In order to deliver all these benefits to the rural sector efficiently, it is essential to elect the right people for the right purposes. Therefore, in the upcoming local government elections, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya urged the public to vote for the candidates who are free from fraud and corruption presented by the National People’s Power (NPP).”
The event was attended by Parliament Chief Organizer of the ruling party Dharmapriya Wijesinghe, Members of Parliament Ruwanthilaka Jayakody and Chaminda Lalith Kumara, along with several local government candidates and the residents of the area.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath will represent Sri Lanka at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican City, the Ministry said.
The funeral is scheduled for today.
About 50,000 people came to pay their respects to the late Pope on Thursday, the Vatican news service said.
“Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square, marking the beginning of the Novemdiales, an ancient tradition of nine days of mourning and Masses for the repose of the late Pope’s soul,” according to the Vatican news service.
“The Novemdiales Masses will be held each day at 5:00 PM (GMT +2) in St. Peter’s Basilica, except for the Mass on Divine Mercy on Sunday, April 27, which will take place at 10:30 AM in St. Peter’s Square.”
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