The Cabinet recently approved the proposal presented by Health, Nutruition & Indigenous Medicine Dr Rajitha Senaratne to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding on activities associated with health and medicine, between the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka and Management & Training International Institute Ltd. The Cabinet also approved Dr Seneratne’s proposal to enter into an MOU in the field of health with the Ministry of Social Activities and Health in the Republic of Finland.
State Ministries, UNICEF join hands to promote Early Childhood Development
Government Ministries and UNICEF joined forces to promote Early Childhood Development ( ECD) in Sri Lanka at the high level meeting held on this subject a fortnight ago. Using the event as an opportunity to secure increased national budget investment in ECD , three budget proposals were presented to the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera focusing on health, nutrition, and early childhood education . The proposals are based on the principle that investment in early childhood development can transform children’s lives, improve their overall nutrition and health and drive Sri Lanka’s economic growth.
Shortcomings at National Thalassaemia Centre, Kurunegala
Several shortcomings at the National Centre for treating thalassaemia patients at the General Hospital, Kurunegala were highlighted in a recent news report which cited the officer in charge of the treatment centre. Consultant Dr Dayanda Bandara the Consultant Officer in charge has been reportedly quoted as saying the centre was located in a small building and functioning for 15 years without a proper building with adequate space. Insufficient service personnel, lack of an official vehicle to carry out urgent service requirement are among other shortcomings allegedly cited in the same report. The centre was opened in 2003 when there were only 300 registered patients.
The number now has risen to over 1,000 . Hospital sources have reportedly urged the Health Ministry to direct its attention to this centre promptly. Doctors have stressed the need for effective screening programmes where Thalassaemia carriers have antenatal testing done to prevent the birth of a child with Thalassaemia Major.
Thalassaemia is the most common genetic blood disorder worldwide. Every year 100,000 children are born with the disease worldwide with an estimated 2,000 patients in Sri Lanka and around 80-100 children added to the list each year.
Construction work on National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa commences
Construction work on the National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa commenced last week under the patronage of President Maithrapala Sirisena. The new hospital when completed will be the largest kidney hospital in South Asia and is built at a cost of Rs 1.2 billion gifted by China.
Polonnaruwa Hospital Director Dr Sampath Indika Kumara has been quoted as saying the hospital would have a 200 bed ward complex, six surgical operating theatres and a 20 bed ICE Unit. It will also consist an OPD Unit with 100 dialysis machines and a modern research lab and vehicle park which could accommodate 300 vehicles at a time.
The hospital is expected to be completed within a short period and fills a dire need for kidney patients in the North and North Central Provinces and surrounding districts.
Cabinet approves recruiting doctors to NTMI
Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva last week said Cabinet had approved a request for the prompt recruitment of MBBS qualified doctors to fill vacancies in the National Transport Medical Institute ( NTMI) ,to issue medical certificates and reports.
Addressing a gathering at the opening of the third floor of the National Transport Medical Institute at Nugegoda modernised with more facilities, he was quoted as saying that fifty MBBS doctors would be recruited beginning August. Facilities at the institute will be improved further to cater to the hundreds of people who visit it daily, he said.
Strengthening health care at grassroots level
The Primary Health Care strengthening Project launched recently at the BMICH is a five year project funded with World Bank assistance. Addressing a media briefing, Project Director and former Health Services Director General Dr J.M.W. Jayasudara Bandara was reported as saying that although at present the world’s best medical treatment was available for Sri Lankans free of charge, prevention of the disease was not satisfactory. According to him at present 24 % of Lankan males and 23 % females under 20 suffer from hypertension which leads to other health complications. Under the new programme each Lankan will be registered to a health centre starting at Grama Niladhari level. A health centre will accommodate 20,000 people .
All of them will be screened for non communicable diseases and other health issues, and thereafter graded and categorised according to the risks faced by them for developing an NCD in the future, and managed accordingly. Dengue cases slump but still matter of concern
A total of 3,745, suspected cases of Dengue have been reported to the government Epidemiologiy Unit for July 2018 bringing the total to 30,288 islandwide. Around 33.4% cases were from the Western Province.
The Colombo Municipal Council area as well as other areas in Colombo registered the highest number with 1,033 cases. The numbers were much higher than in any other district with Gampaha ( 337) Kalutara ( 207) , Kandy ( 346) lagging far behind. Except for Jaffna ( 241) Batticaloa ( 189) .Kurunegala ( 171) Puttalam ( 103) and Ratnapura ( 278) all other districts were less than a hundred cases respectively. Mulaitivu had the lowest number of cases at 7,- a drop from10 in the previous month. Dengue Control authorities have urged persons with more than three days of fever to go to the nearest hospital and get themselves tested for Dengue.