To curtail influenza hospitals provided with medical gear | Sunday Observer

To curtail influenza hospitals provided with medical gear

3 June, 2018

All required medical equipment and drugs needed to curtail spread of influenza in the country, have been supplied to all hospitals , especially, the Galle Karapitiya Teaching Hospital and the Matara General Hospital, under the direction of the Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senerathne .

Health Ministry sources said that other hospitals such as Elpitiya, Tangalle and Wanasamulla State Hospital had also received similar equipment and medical gear.

Meanwhile, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital Director Dr Jayammpathi Senanayake has been quoted as informing that his hospital has adequate stocks of drugs to treat influenza patients, and there was no truth in certain rumours to the contrary circulating at present. He also stressed that the MLTs attached to the hospital worked diligently and even visited wards when necessary if Consultants asked them to do so.

The General Medical Practioners’ Association however, has charged that the hospital still lacked essential drugs and requested the government to import more drugs to the country as soon as possible to prevent an outbreak.

Meanwhile, Health Director General Dr Anil Jasinghe has assured that the Influenza spread was now under control and the number of patients were now decreasing. He has said that face masks had been provided for hospital staff and over a hundred posters distributed through MOHs and Regional and Provincial institutions in public places, to educate the public on preventing Influenza.

Health Minister orders probe into errant pharmacists

The Health Minister has reportedly ordered Health authorities to conduct investigations on certain pharmacists who had informed cancer patients that there were no drugs available to treat them.

Health sources have been reported to have said that the Minister had ordered the investigation after a patient had made a complaint over the phone to him, that some pharmacists attached to the Maharagama Cancer Hospital had allegedly told the cancer patients there were no drugs available when the hospital had enough stocks. Later when the Hospital Director had heard of the incident, he had reportedly ordered the pharmacists to release the drugs to the patients.

NATA asks Lankans to stop smoking , selling , distributing cigarettes on No Tobacco Day

The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol ( NATA) chairman Dr Palitha Abeykoon has been reported as asking all Sri Lankans to refrain from selling or using tobacco on May 3 which was World No Tobacco Day.

Meanwhile, Cabinet has approved the ban on the sale of single cigarettes within 100 meters radius of a school , and to introduce plain packaging with pictorial warnings .

At present, according to NATA, only 20 percent of the population smoke , the majority being young people from 15 years to 35 being the highest age group. NATA sources have said that if the country could reduce this number to below ten percent, tobacco smoking would cease to be a problem in the country and this would signify a significant achievement.

Parliament nod for polythene ban

Parliament last week approved orders under the National Environment Act to ban polythene items which came into force in January this year . Several Gazettes Extraordinary had been issued by the President in his capacity as Mahaweli Development and Environment Minister in September 2017 which were approved following a debate, highly placed sources have reportedly said.

According to such Gazettes Extra ordinary the manufacture, sale , offer for sale , offer free of charge , exhibition or use of polythene products that are 20 microns or below, lunch sheets, grocery bags, food containers ( lunch boxes) , plates, cups , spoons from expanded polythene were banned.

Also banned are all forms of polythene for decorative purposes at political, social, religious, national, cultural or any other event. Furthermore, open burning of refuse and other combustible material inclusive of plastics have also been prohibited.

Pregnancy dress for teachers

A suitable dress designed by an expert panel for pregnant teachers is to be introduced shortly in six patterns in six light shades. Education Ministry sources had informed the teaching fraternity that the expert panel included doctors, fashion designers and academics.

There are 236,000 teachers in the education system of who 172,000 are females . A large number, around ten thousand are said to go on annual maternity leave . Pregnant teachers up to now had to wear the sari causing inconvenience to them when climbing stairs sources said.

UN adds 740 more drugs on banned substances list

Close to 740 new drugs have been added to the UN list of banned substances National Dangerous Drugs Control Board ( NDDCB) sources have said.

Arrangements to include them under the Sri Lankan law are currently underway.

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