With 19 more Covid related deaths confirmed by the Director General of Health Services, the death toll due to the Covid-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka has climbed up to 14,771.
Opposition Leader condemns continuous imprisonment of former MP Ranjan Ramanayake
Despite numerous occasions in which the President was requested to release former MP Ranjan Ramanayake and the Inter-Parliament Union’s stance on releasing him based on nine key points, the former MP is still imprisoned, said Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa today (20).
The Opposition Leader made this observation following his visit to the Welikada Prison to see Ramanayake this morning.
Pointing out that the former MP is spending a prison sentence for neither theft nor misconduct, Premadasa reminded that Ramanayake was a person who always had stood up for the rights of the people.
When the ones who are responsible for the Sugar Scam, the Coconut Oil Scam, the Gas Cylinder Explosion Mayhem and the Fertiliser Scam are still at large, a man who always spoke the truth on behalf of the people is spending a prison sentence, the Opposition Leader pointed out.
Urging the release of Ramanayake once again in the name of Social Service, Premadasa added that he will continue a democratic struggle for the former MP’s release.
GMOA to launch islandwide strike action from tomorrow
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said it would be launching an islandwide strike action from 8 am tomorrow (21), based on seven demands, including resolving issues regarding the granting of post-internship appointments.
The GMOA is still on strike in five districts today, alleging that the Health Secretary has acted arbitrarily in granting post-internship appointments.
SLPP loses Budget for Lindula Urban Council in second row
The 2022 Budget for the Lindula Urban Council ruled by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has been defeated in a second row.
The Budget was tabled by UC Chairman Lechchumun Bharatidasan and defeated with a majority of two votes.
Two SLPP UC members have also voted in opposition to the Budget, according to reports.
2022 Grade 01 studies to commence from April
The academic activities of 2022 for Grade 01 students will commence from April, revealed Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena speaking to media in Kandy today (20).
The process of enrolling Grade 01 students will be carried out as usual, he added.
The 2021 Scholarship Examination is expected to be held at the end of February and the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will be held thereafter.
The G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination is set to be held in May next year.
NPP Representative Conference at Monarch Imperial Hall
The Representative Conference of the National People’s Power (NPP) led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is currently being held at the Monarch Imperial Hall of Sri Jayawardenapura.
The conference is being held under the theme, “The Solution to Build a Broken Motherland” and can be viewed live on all NPP/JVP Social Media.
Hingurakgoda Covid Treatment Centre not closed. 17 doctors working: Acting Deputy Director General of Health
There was no wrongdoing on the part of the Health Ministry in granting post-internship appointments to medical doctors and the appointments were made on a priority basis taking into account the vacancies, said acting Deputy Director General of Health (Health Services) Specialist Dr. G. Wijesuriya, responding to the token strike launched by the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) in five districts in protest of the transfer boards.
There was no need to strike if there was a problem, the acting Deputy Director General noted, in what he described as an act of ‘sabotage,’ adding that such a dispute can be complained to the Public Service Commission.
Dr. Wijesuriya explained that in preparing the transfer boards, vacancy documents are being obtained from the Provincial Directors of Health, District Directors of Health as well as Hospital Directors and given in order of priority.
Revealing that there are about three thousand medical vacancies islandwide, the acting Deputy Director General of Health added that appointments have been made with priority in mind and the GMOA too has been involved in the process to further ensure transparency.
He added that none of the essential services are disrupted by the strike action and the rumours that the Hingurakgoda Covid Treatment Centre was closed were false. As of now, 17 medical officers have been assigned at the centre treating about 120 patients, he added.
About five hundred new appointments will be made today and more than a thousand more will be given appointments by January 15, 2022, the acting Deputy Director General of Health added.
Opposition Leader donates hospital equipment worth Rs. 2.3 million in memory of Music Legend Sunil Perera
Essential hospital equipment worth Rs. 2,360,000 is set to be donated under the 34th phase of the ‘Jana Suwaya’ Project undertaken by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) as part of the ‘Samagi Jana Balawegayen Husmak’ initiative launched in relieving those affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The hospital equipment will be donated in memory of Music Legend Sunil Perera whose uncanny contribution to the Sri Lankan Music for decades lingers in the corridors of time.
The hospital equipment consists of eight Edan Multipara Monitors worth Rs. 295,000 each.
The “Samagi Jana Balawegayen Husmak” initiative is supported and funded by the efforts of the SJB Parliamentary Group, organisers, local and overseas members and donors with the aim of promoting and protecting the lives of Sri Lankans through the provision of life saving medical equipment to the government hospital sector amid the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Earlier, the initiative donated medical equipment worth Rs. 99,250,000.00 on 33 phases.
Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery likely to be closed again. Has Subject Minister lost his mind?
The Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery may have to be closed again given the current situation, warned Ananda Palitha, a trade union leader of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, speaking to a briefing held in the Opposition Leader’s Office yesterday (19).
“As far as we know, a debt of US$500 million has been approved allowing us to obtain oil from India. But we only have to borrow from India. For the moment we only have the confidence that we will be given US$500 million. A clear crisis has now entered the country. I say with responsibility that if the US$500 million is the liability, the Refinery may have to be closed. There is no oil ship after the last one, even to this day. The Minister is looking for crude oil ships in Sri Lankan Rupees. We have to ask whether the Minister has lost his mind!” he said.
No proposal to delay Provincial Council Election tabled in Cabinet: Dinesh
Leader of the House Minister Dinesh Gunawardena responding to reporters after a programme held in a Temple in Gelioya yesterday (19) stated that there is no resolution was tabled in the Cabinet to delay the Provincial Council Election.
However, Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Governments Roshan Ranasinghe speaking to media on a recent occasion claimed that the government had decided to postpone the holding of the Provincial Council Election by a year.