News

Vaccination for all elders in care homes

Published

4 years ago

2021/07/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Already about 75 per cent vaccinated

By Rathindra Kuruwita

There was a belief among some administrators of elders care homes that their charges did not need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as they did not leave their premises, Dr. D.W.D.H Saranajeewa, Director-Youth Elderly Disabled and Displaced of the Health Ministry told the media yesterday.

Addressing the media, she said senior citizens were extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

“If you look at foreign countries, elders care homes are especially vulnerable and a large number of elders have died. We are very mindful of this and that is why we have been aggressively vaccinating senior citizens,” she said.

Dr. Saranajeewa said that around 75% of the senior citizens living in homes for elders in Sri Lanka had been vaccinated and the goal was to inoculate all of them as soon as possible.

“Those in charge of elders’ homes should talk to the relevant area PHI or other health officers in charge of vaccinations and ensure the vaccination of their charges as soon as possible. Senior citizens at home or at these centres need to be vaccinated soon if we want to save them from new variants,” she said.

According to Dr. Saranajeewa there are 349 elders’ homes, accommodating 8,806 people. Of those adults, 6,360 have already been vaccinated and another 2,446 are scheduled to be vaccinated.

Those homes employed about 3,000 workers and they too would be fully vaccinated soon, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and Covid Disease Control, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said a few days ago. Other elders over 60 years of age were still being vaccinated at selected government hospitals and locations, Dr. Fernandopulle said.

All News Advertisement

News

Cabinet nod to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa to the Post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar

Published

6 hours ago

2025/11/11

Priyan

The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the proposal
furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa, a Grade I officer in Sri Lanka Administrative Service, serving in a post of Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development to the post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar

News

Cabinet nod to hold 28th joint Asia Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18-21 November in Sri Lanka

Published

6 hours ago

2025/11/11

Priyan

It has been planned to conduct the 28th Joint Asia-Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18th November 2025 to 21st November 2025 in Sri Lanka, and 13 local representatives and 104 foreign representatives from 30 countries will participate in the said summit.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security,
and Community Empowerment to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Social Development Institute and the Society of Professionals engaged in Sri Lankan social services to conduct the aforementioned workshop in Sri Lanka and obtain the necessary institutional support to
conduct the said summit.

Latest News

Establishment of multi-modal transport hubs

Published

6 hours ago

2025/11/11

Priyan

As per the current national policy of the government to make public transport in Sri Lanka efficient and streamlined, the necessity of establishing multi-modal transport hubs with required facilities has been identified to enable efficient public transport services to be initiated from transit cities and main cities through the interconnection between transport modes.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved in principle the proposal presented by the Acting Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to develop the following multi-modal transport hubs on a priority basis, with the objective of upgrading the interconnection of transport modes such as buses, trains, and taxi services by integrating bus stands and railway stations identified as having a growing passenger circulation on the island, subject to a formal feasibility study.

• Kandy Multimodal Transport Hub (Construction work has already been started under world bank financing)

• Anuradhapura (South) Multimodal Transport Hub (Constructions are about to be completed under the Anuradhapura combined urban development project)

• Anuradhapura (North) Multimodal Transport Hub (feasibility study has been performed and preliminary work completed)

• Multimodal Transport Hub centered around the Fort Railway Station (as proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan, which has been prepared for urban transport in Colombo and suburbs)

• Moratuwa Multimodal Transport Center (proposed by the ComTrans Master Plan)

• Ragama Multimodal Transport Center ( identified through a study conducted by the Japan International Coorperation Agency)

• Avissawella, Galle, Katunayake, Kurunegala Multimodal Transport Centers (identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority)

• Gampaha Multimodal Transport Center ((identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority and railway electrification of the Colombo Suburban Railway Project)

• Katunayake Multimodal Transport Hub (identified under the Airport Development Plan)

• Kaluthara Multimodal Transport Center (identified as a proposal of the District coordination Committee)

• Kankasanthure Multimodal Transport Center(identified according to the urban plans of the Urban Development Authority)