Employees will be recruited to the State Health Management Service (SHMS)through a competitive exam by December, Health & Nutrition Minister Dr Rajitha Seneratne has reportedly said.
Addressing a ceremony in Colombo recently, to hand over appointment letters to 385 Health Management Officers, he was quoted as saying that 70% or 886 persons will be recruited through a competitive exam adding that even graduates could apply for employment in lower grades at the Health Ministry. He also reportedly noted that duties could be carried out more effectively and productively when recruiting health staffers to lower grades as they would have a sound knowledge on the health services from the beginning.
Sri Lanka’s ageing population to hit 30% by 2050
Sri Lanka’s elderly population(those over 60 years) will reach 30 percent of the total population by 2050, President of the Sri Lanka Association of Geriatric Medicine, Dr Padma Guneratne has been quoted as saying at a recent media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau . She noted that in1946, the percentage was only 5.4% but in 2012 it reached 12.5% which showed a rapid increase of Lankan elders – similar to developed countries such as Japan. The average life expectancy of a Lankan female now is 79 years and for males 72 years, underlying the need for more trained doctors and special wards to meet the needs of the elderly population.
Other speakers also drew attention to dangerous trends such as, an increase in smoking and alcohol consumption among males as well as poor lifestyles rooted in childhood, leading to early non communicable diseases such as, diabetes. They warned that eating unhealthy starchy food with high fat and oil, consuming sugary drinks, and lack of adequate exercise causing obesity among elders made them more vulnerable to NCDs and communicable diseases since their immunity levels were low due to advanced age.
Siddhalepa promotes healthy living among elderly
The Siddhalepa Ayurveda Hospital in Mt Lavinia, one of the leading Ayurveda hospitals in the country, is offering a 30% discount on admissions, to all senior citizens, and a 25% discount in their spas, at Colombo 7 and Mt Lavinia, from Monday to Thursday throughout October and November.
US promises modern medical tech to SL
Health Minister Dr Rajitha Seneratne has reportedly said, the US government had agreed to provide modern medical technology to Sri Lanka following a meeting between him and the US Deputy Health and Human Secretary Eric Hargan recently, informed sources at the Health Ministry have said.
During the meeting, the Minister had reportedly said, many health indicators in Sri Lanka tally with the US and that some were similar to the health indicators of developed countries in the world.
Internet access for children limited soon
Women and Child Affairs Minister Chandrani Bandara has recently been quoted as saying the government has drawn up a mechanism to control and manage internet access to children.
The Minister has reportedly said, the government will design a programme by next year to this end with discussions underway with stakeholders to ensure that children do not have improper access to the internet, noting that due to the internet children were prone to various kinds of cyberspace violations. Speaking at the national ceremony celebrating World Children’s Day at Temple Trees under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe , she reportedly said, it was important that we make sure students access the internet only for educative purposes.
Day Care for victims of violence
Day Care centres for all children who need a safe place are currently being developed following the rise in acts of violence against children. Women & Child Affairs Minister Chandrani Bandara has reportedly said that in 2017 around 4,000 children had been abused and 956 acts of violence reported . Of these, 112 cases were child labourers, 117 sexual abuse cases and 602 violations of children’s rights. The World Bank is currently assisting the Ministry in developing pre-schools, providing free food for Day Care centres and establishing government administered Day Care centres.
Responding to the urgent need to help abused children the Minister has thus reportedly informed that Day Care centres will not be limited to pre schoolers, but all children who need security and care.
Health/ safety priority concerns for FTZ workers
An urgent call has been made to improve working conditions for Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Zone workers at a multi stakeholders workshop to discuss occupational health hazards within international factories in and around the FTZ.
The chief speaker at the event D Sandya Hewamanne, a lecturer at the University of Essex, has reportedly said, BOI workers faced many workplace issues and that more awareness programmes on safety issues, especially, with regard to equipment should be conducted.
Other suggestions included at least twice a year medi care camps to provide free health checkups for workers, ergonomically designed chairs at workplaces and an exercise routine of two or three minutes once every three hours. The panel included Health Ministry officials, Board of Investment officials and factory managers.
Leishmaniasis spreads
The Entomology Unit of the Gampaha Provincial Health Director’s Office has reportedly said, there is a likelihood of the spread of Leishmaniasis caused by sand flies in the country. So far 23 leishmaniasis patients have been detected in the Gampaha district .
In the past, sand flies which spread the disease were found only in the Dry Zone in the South Western Province, but were now found to be spreading to new areas such as, Divulupitiya, Attanagalle and Meerigama, Health sources were quoted as saying. Explaining what the disease was, they said it was caused by the parasite Leishmania Donovani which appears in several forms. The most common forms are skin or cultaneous leishmanias which causes skin sores, and internal or visceral leishmaniasis which affects several internal organs, usually, the spleen, liver and bone marrow. It can also cause ulcers in the nose, mouth or throat (known as muscosal leishmaniasis). Leishmaniasis is considered as a notifiable disease from 2008 and has seen a rising trend of incidence since then. Epidemiology Unit sources have urged patients suspected of having the disease to notify their nearest health facility and seek treatment.
National Occupational Safety & Health Confab
The second week of October was designated as the National Occupational Safety & Health Week by the Sri Lanka Cabinet of Ministers, since 2009. To mark this week, a conference hosted by a leading private sector ( Brandix Group) which has been a key corporate partner for the ninth year, is being held. Group sources underlined the opportunity of emphasising the importance of establishing Occupational Safety Health management systems in all industries to minimise occupational hazards and accidents that harmed workers’ health.
Call for more facilities for disabled persons
Activist Dr Ajith Perera who has campaigned for and ‘Accessible Sri Lanka for all through built environments’ was quoted by a leading state paper as saying that regulatory authorities have continually failed to ensure compliance in full of clause 23 ( 2) of the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act No 28 of 1996, with regard to access to or use of a building or place which any other member is entitled to use. He reportedly urged the authorities to enforce the regulations to ensure a better future for the disabled.