News

SL heading for another resurgence of the pandemic, Lab technologists warn

Published

6 years ago

2021/03/26

By Rathindra Kuruwita

A number of senior health officers had been compelled to leave the campaign against Covid-19 and their replacements were junior officers President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island yesterday.

Kumudesh said the exodus of the capable and experienced professionals jeopardized the campaign against Covid-19.

“The President has to be consulted on any decision. The state labs can conduct 25,000 PCR tests a day, but fewer than 4,000 are done at present. We have been asking the government to provide 10 buses that we can use as mobile PCR testing units, but even after a year the government has not complied with our request. We have the best PCR lab at the BIA, with equipment worth over Rs. 100 million, but not a single tourist has been tested there. All the samples are sent to private labs.”

Kumudesh said while the campaign against Covid-19 was crumbling; the general public had been duped into thinking that the pandemic was under control and that the number of infections was dropping naturally.

“People think they are safe. They are being encouraged to celebrate the coming festive season. The government has been telling us that there has been a significant drop in new cases and now people think that the virus is under control. However, when we look at the world, we see that the virus is mutating.”

The President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science said that the variant that originated in England was prevalent in Sri Lanka and even the South African variant could be in the country.

“The virus has spread from the Western Province to the rest of the country. The numbers have dropped because we have reduced the number of tests. Because we do not test adequate numbers, we are only detecting those who are seriously sick or those who are dying. It will be silly if we delude ourselves into thinking that the numbers are actually dropping.”

Kumudesh added that Sri Lankan officials were even misleading the public about the money spent on PCR testing.

“The Minister of Health has said the government spends Rs. 80 million a day on PCR testing. The real number is less than Rs. 10 million. We have shown the ministry how we can actually make money from tourists. More importantly, if we don’t conduct PCR tests properly, we won’t be able to make right decision and contain the pandemic.’

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

2 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.