News
SJB will invest more in soft infrastructure such as health and education – Eran
SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne says the importation of inferior medicine by way of emergency procurement and non-functioning medical, surgical and other test equipment in hospitals have ruined the public health sector.
Addressing the Media at the Office of the Leader of Opposition on Sunday (6Aug2023), Wickramaratne said that this pathetic situation in the health sector has been further aggravated by the brain drain. Though a doctor’s initial combined salary exceeds Rs.160, 000, the market opportunities available to them are much higher. “Doctors and nurses can earn three times the salary they receive in Sri Lanka, when they work overseas.
“If the current issues that prevail in the entire health sector are to be resolved, the allocation should be increased from the current 1.5% of the GDP to 3% of the GDP in the health and education sectors. An SJB government will invest more on soft infrastructure such as health and education, instead of hard infrastructure that has not generated dividends to the country thus far. Eran also said that an SJB government will rationalise state expenditure through thorough austerity measures and will invest in health and education infrastructure.
On 12th April 2022, the government issued a statement declaring that there is no shortage of medicine or surgical equipment in the state hospitals. On the same day, on ‘Watch Dog’, more than fifty doctors from all over the country spoke and publicly said that the government’s statement is completely false and is misleading the people. Even the Director General of Health Services had admitted that there is a shortage of medicines. Only 10% of the local medicine requirement is produced in the country. The rest is imported from several countries including India, Germany and Switzerland.”
The importation of substandard medicine from India through unregistered suppliers as emergency purchasing aggravated the crisis in the health sector, MP Wickramaratne said. The fact that these drug purchases had been made from a company that is not registered with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority raises serious doubts, he added. Transparency International has filed a case against awarding the contract to an Indian company out of procedure and importing substandard medicine into the country.
The Supreme Court has given the greenlight to hear this case on the basis that there are doubts about the quality and standard of the medicine in question. An interim order has also been given not to re-import these medicines until the case is investigated.
Eran Wickramaratne casting aspersion on the actions taken by the health authorities, said, the government after having declared that there is no money to allocate, has made emergency purchases of medicine at a higher price of about 1000% more than the normal price.
Adding fuel to the fire, the data system of the NMRA got deleted in an unusual manner. The government then tried to hide behind the deletion of data for the lack of medicine. The Colombo University gave a report on the data.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
ICC board votes to replace Bangladesh if they don’t travel to India
Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict – PM
Brook needs to ‘regain trust of players’ after New Zealand nightclub incident
Navy seizes 02 Indian fishing boats poaching in northern waters
Prime Minister participates in high-level bilateral meetings at World Economic Forum
Dushmantha Chameera, Dhananjaya de Silva return for England ODIs
‘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
-
Editorial4 days agoIllusory rule of law
-
News5 days agoUNDP’s assessment confirms widespread economic fallout from Cyclone Ditwah
-
Business7 days agoKoaloo.Fi and Stredge forge strategic partnership to offer businesses sustainable supply chain solutions
-
Editorial5 days agoCrime and cops
-
Features4 days agoDaydreams on a winter’s day
-
Editorial6 days agoThe Chakka Clash
-
Features4 days agoSurprise move of both the Minister and myself from Agriculture to Education
-
Features3 days agoExtended mind thesis:A Buddhist perspective