Colombo (LNW): An extraordinary gazette has been issued revising the prices of several medicines, dated June 15, 2023. The gazette has been issued by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella.

Accordingly, the prices of 60 types of medicines will be slashed by 16 per cent, and the price revision will be effective from today (26).

These medicines include Paracetamol, Amoxicillin, Aspirin, Thyroxine and Glipizide, and the Ministry stated that any drug manufacturer or importer shall not sell any type of medicines mentioned in the aforementioned gazette at a price more than the declared maximum retail price.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): The Appeal Court today (26) quashed the summons issued by the Colombo Fort Magistrate Court on Senior Deputy Inspector General (SDIG) in charge of the Western Province Deshabandu Tennakoon to appear before Court in connection with the large sum of money amounting to Rs. 17.8 million found at the President’s House during the July 09 ‘Aragalaya’ uprising last year.

The order was issued by the Appeal Court bench comprising Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunarante and A. Marikkar.

The Appeal Court also issued a writ order invalidating a letter issued by the Attorney General to cite the Tennakoon as a suspect in the assault allegedly committed by pro-Rajapaksa activists on peaceful protesters at the “GotaGoGama” agitation site in Galleface on May 09, 2023, which consequently led to a mass unrest across the country.

The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Plantation Industries decided to hold a discussing with President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding the activities of private sector estate companies.

This decision was taken at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Plantation Industries Chaired by Minister of Plantation Industries Ramesh Pathirana.

The Chair pointed out to the Members present that post leasing, the private sector plantation companies at present are showcasing more interest in other industries other than the plantation of tea, rubber etc, that they do not maintain the estates properly and are not interested in the welfare facilities of the employees. It was also discussed that the government does not have a proper mechanism to monitor the activities of such estate companies.

The Members brought the attention of the Committee that these big estate companies pay very little wages to the workers and even basic facilities are not provided in some estates. The Minister also stated that since these estates have been leased to the private sector under very weak lease agreements, it has become difficult to regulate the activities of these estate companies.

The Minister said that most of these companies do not develop infrastructure and it is observed that some companies, especially tea plantations, are far away from it. A large number of hectares under such companies have been identified as unused land without cultivation, he said.

The Minister said that he hopes to discuss the matter with the President and resolve the issues quickly. Meanwhile, the problems seen in plantation crops like coconut and the effects of pests were also discussed at the Committee meeting held. The Minister instructed the authorities to focus on resuming coconut cultivation in Matara district which had been stopped due to pest infestation.

State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura, MPs Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Dr. V. Radhakrishnan, M. Rameshwaran, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Udayakantha Gunathilaka were present at the occasion.

By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LNW): C.D. Wickramaratne, the current Inspector General of Police (IGP), will be met with the end of the service extension granted to him three months ago today (26).

According to standard procedure, a new IGP needs to be appointed following the expiration of the service extension of the incumbent one, and it is yet to be made public record who will be Wickramaratne’s successor.

Wickramaratne’s service extension of three months was granted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, when his term as the IGP ended on March 26, 2023.

Early reports claimed that he had handed over the documents required for his retirement, but later it was announced that he will be serving in his position as the IGP for three more months.

Given the President’s return to Sri Lanka today, an update will soon be made on the appointment of a new IGP, considering the recommendations of the Constitutional Council.

PMD: State Minister of Health Dr. Seetha Arambepola, Chairperson of the Dengue Control Expert Committee, said that a special cleanliness program for dengue control will be undertaken in the Colombo Municipal Council area next weekend, and the public is requested to remain at home and support it.

The State Minister added that a week of larval inspections covering the Colombo and Gampaha districts will follow the initiative.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently took decisive action to combat the spread of Covid-19 and Dengue in the country by establishing both a Ministerial Committee and an Expert Committee. To facilitate the work of the Experts Committee, nine Provincial sub-Committees have been established. The involvement of these sub-Committees aims to enhance collaboration and coordination at the provincial level in the fight against Covid-19 and Dengue.

By designating specific days to inspect schools, places of worship, Government and private institutions, commercial premises, and abandoned plots as places where dengue mosquitoes breed the most, this program will be implemented in the Western Province. Meanwhile, other provinces are urged to identify their own challenges and implement specific programs, according to State Minister Dr. Seetha Arambepola.

State Minister Dr. Seetha Arambepola stated this at the press conference held today (25) at the Presidential Media Centre on the control of the spread of dengue.

The state minister mentioned that more than 47,000 dengue cases have been reported since January and 50% of them are reported from the Western Province. The minister mentioned that the spread of dengue disease has increased with climate change and if this situation is not controlled, the dengue disease can become fatal similar to Covid.

State Minister of Health, Dr. Seetha Arambepola, who spoke further, said:

“The spread of dengue has become a global situation. In the first half of this year alone, more than 47,000 dengue cases and 27 dengue deaths have been reported.

In view of this situation, President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently appointed both a Ministerial Committee and an Expert Committee to combat the spread of Covid-19 and Dengue in the country. Nine Provincial sub-Committees were established to facilitate the work of the Experts Committee.

This Committee comprises Mr. S. Janaka Sri Chandraguptha – Secretary, Ministry of Health, Ms. M Kodippiliarachchi – Additional Secretary (Local Government & Provincial Councils), Dr. Asela Gunawardena – Director General of Health Services, Dr. S. M. Arnold – Deputy Director General (Public Health Services – I), Dr. Samitha Ginige – Director, Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Nalin Ariyarathne – Director, National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama – Senior Consultant Physician, Dr. Lakkumar Fernando – Pediatrician, Prof. Neelika Malavige – Professor, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine and Dr. Upul Dissanayake – Consultant Physician, as members of this Committee.

Preventing the breeding of the mosquito and preventing the mosquito from getting the virus is very important in controlling dengue. The vector can be reduced by identifying the places where the water collects during the rainy season and preventing the breeding of mosquitoes. People need to be educated in order to lower their risk of getting bitten by a mosquito. In densely populated areas, the chance of dengue transmission from one mosquito to a large number of people is high.

A series of urgent programs are being implemented through the Dengue Control Sub-Committees appointed in the provinces. In the coming months, we will try our best not to reach the capacity of the patients who will be admitted to the hospitals.

Accordingly, a special cleanliness program will be implemented in the city of Colombo with the support of the Tri forces during the next weekend. The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), Provincial Department of Health Services and the Local Government authorities will also join and the office of the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) will make relevant notifications. Accordingly, I request the people to stay at home this coming weekend and support it.

After that program, schools, religious places, government and private institutions, commercial premises as well as abandoned plots of land where dengue mosquitoes are most likely to be bred will be inspected for larvae on specific days in Colombo and Gampaha districts for a week.

At the same time, specific programs are being implemented in all other provinces as per the instructions of the Provincial Health Officer.
The dengue patient should be aware of this and take precautions to prevent spreading the illness to others. Especially at this time, the media can play a significant part in that.

Control of dengue focuses more on primary health. This circumstance arises every year, thus in my opinion, widespread awareness-raising efforts at the school level are necessary. And I believe that this is a special circumstance that should be included in the educational curriculum.”

Meanwhile Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama while joining the ‘101 Katha’ program produced by the President’s Media Division noted;
The Ministry of Health is working to adopt a number of strategies to prevent the spread of dengue in the upcoming period. Implementing dengue control measures by the Government, the private sector, and the public is also crucial. The possibility of controlling dengue fever exists, if this program is sustained for a considerable amount of time. With the upcoming monsoon season, there is a risk that dengue cases would increase. In general, the months of June and July see an upsurge in dengue patients. Therefore, all parties should work with utmost care to control the dengue virus.

Dengue can affect any age group. 75% of reported cases involve people older than 15 years. Nowadays, young people are more likely to contract the disease than small children, despite the fact that it used to spread among them more frequently. Dengue is a virus. As a result, there is a strong likelihood that dengue can be easily transmitted via mosquitos from one infected person to another.
Eliminating mosquito breeding places is vital. The dengue mosquito typically exists in in areas where clean water gathers. Anywhere, including waste plastic, used tires, flower pots, coconut and king coconut shells, serves as a breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes. Such areas should receive as much attention as possible, and should be removed immediately. In addition, precautions should be made to avoid mosquito bites.

It is important to take precautions against mosquito bites in order to avoid spreading the dengue virus to others. For that, the body might be covered with clothing. Additionally, there are mosquito repellents. It can also control mosquito bites. But none of these approaches is completely effective.

The Local Government authorities, Public Health Inspectors, Health Departments, and Security Forces have all stepped in to help control the disease by destroying mosquito breeding grounds. Special programs are being implemented focusing on the provinces where dengue is spreading most. Within the coming week, a special initiative will begin, with a focus on the Colombo and Gampaha districts, where the majority of cases are reported. There will be a clean-up of the garbage in such areas. It has been agreed to provide the labor contribution of Army for this purpose.

Even if water is removed from containers full of water, mosquito larvae can remain. Therefore, they should be cleaned thoroughly and water should not be allowed to collect again. The typical lifespan of a mosquito is five to six days. Therefore, weekly cleaning of the surroundings is crucial. Keeping your surroundings clean is a must. Controlling dengue cannot be done by one person alone. And it cannot be done only by a few institutions. This requires the support of everyone in the country.

A person suffering from dengue should not work hard. Rest is essential. If not, the chances of complications are high. Any fever patient should only receive Paracetamol, it has been advised. Paracetamol may occasionally fail to entirely bring down fever. However patients should not be afraid in such cases. Having a fever does not escalate to a major issue. Complications can be minimized through physical rest. Meanwhile, it is vital that fluid intakes are given to patients to keep them hydrated. King coconut water, orange and lime juice, and Jeevani are generally recommended for this purpose.

PMD: The Government is paying close attention to certain parties’ attempts to satisfy their political needs by giving the ‘Aswasuma’ program, which was created to aid those in need of economic stability, a political façade.

However, the Government assures that any shortcomings in the process of selecting the relevant candidates will be rectified immediately and plans are being made to discuss this with the district secretaries, divisional secretaries, and other parties involved in the program in the coming week.

Accordingly, these payments will be distributed among four social categories, namely transitional, vulnerable, poor, and extremely poor. Additionally, the usual allowances for the differently-abled, elderly, and kidney patients will also be provided.

6728 officers were employed in the data collection process for the information survey of the program to identify those who are eligible for welfare benefit payments, covering all the divisional secretariats across the island. It included 3190 development officers, 494 economic development officers, 205 Grama Niladhari officers, 1127 other officers and 1712 temporary recruits.

At the regional office level, a three-member selection committee will monitor the data and, after approval by the district secretary, the deserving candidates will be selected.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena as the Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister announced this morning (25) that the time period given to those who have been wronged in the selection of the beneficiaries of the ‘Aswesuma’ welfare benefit payment program to hand over appeals and objections has been extended until July 10, as some parties have alleged that there have been shortcomings in the process.

The necessary work is also being carried out in this regard by Acting Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe and Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.

Accordingly, if an individual or family in need of economic stability has lost this benefit, there is an opportunity to correct it by making inquiries through the Divisional Secretariats during the relevant period.

The Government emphasizes that the basic requirement of the ‘Aswesuma’ program is to provide the necessary contribution to the people who need economic stability, and not to meet the needs of various parties based on a mere political process.

The Government advises against panicking as a result of yielding to political instigation or external influences if your name is not on the currently published list or if the name of an ineligible individual is on it. Instead, make any pertinent queries through the Divisional Secretariat Offices. The Government further informs the applicants that they can contact the Divisional Secretary for assistance with any issues that may have developed with regard to their applications.