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Beware
of cheese! Colombo's chief medical officer Dr. Jayantha Liyanage said one of the supermarkets had already been taken to courts for selling fungus contaminated cheese. He said health inspectors had found the fungus-contaminated when they raided the three supermarkets following customer complaints. Dr. Liyanage said they were probing whether the contamination had taken place during production or because of the prolonged power cuts. He said inspectors would keep a close watch on the situation while customers themselves needed to be alert and call on the hotline 676161 if they had doubts about cheese. Battered
in war hopeful in peace Today the LTTE cadres who planted the land mines and other explosives to keep out the security forces are using their bare hands to dig out the explosives and prepare the way for the civilians to return. Unlike Jaffna and other areas, where hi-tech methods are being used for demining operations, the process in Mullaitivu is as basic or crude as the way the mines were planted and improvised devices are used for the demining. On a visit to Mullaitivu we saw Tiger cadres busily engaged in mined areas in several areas especially near main roads. Travelling through the Oddusuddan and Pudukudiirippu, the destruction of the war is seen everywhere. Almost all civilians in the area have lived with the war and are aware of the harsh realities. "We have seen some of the worst fighting and the damage caused by the aerial attacks," said an elderly civilian. The decision by the government to lift the embargo on goods to the north and east has brought some relief to the residents in the area, but the prices are still high as the transport charges remain high. Thirty two year old S.Chandran, called on the government to give priority to the repair of roads so that transport charges and prices of goods could be reduced. Farmers and fisherfolk in the area are also badly affected by the inability to transport their products and are forced to sell them mainly to middle-men at low prices. A kilogram of Kolikuttu fetches a mere Rs. 12, while big prawns- an expensive luxury in Colombo- go cheap at Rs. 100 a kilogram. Fish also goes cheap at Rs. 40 a kilo and rice at Rs. 20. Joblessness cannot be measured in terms of percentages because most people cannot find jobs even as labourers. Each family has about eight members and many are known to be suffering from malnutrition. The age of marriage is low as many of the families believe that it is one of the ways to escape from dire poverty. The Mullaithivu hospital is supposed to be the main hospital in the district, but it looks more like a wayside dispensary.Balasingham Dayanan-dani, 24, an employee at the hospital says they have only one doctor to boast of along with three labourers and a midwife, while there are no nurses. Medicines are dispensed by labourers while some temporary workers give a helping hand. Many of the houses in the area remain damaged in mortar attacks or by bombing and most people live in cadjan thatched houses. Most people who have returned to the area are seeking assistance to build their houses and carry on with their cultivation work. Important buildings in the town have been damaged with the courts, former police station and rest house in ruins. Of the Mullaitivu military complex what is left today is the sign board and two pillars at the entrance, after it was overrun by the LTTE in 1997. Tigers are seen deployed in the city. Twenty four year old Namgamby says the Tiger cadres are ready to accept a political solution and their members are gradually adjusting to the situation. "At the moment we have been instructed to clear all the mines which have been planted in the area. We are doing it for the benefit of the public so that they could freely travel in the area," she said. The cemetery where some 1300 Tiger cadres have been buried is situated in the Mulliyaweli area and those passing by are often seen removing their hats or caps in respect. Mullaitivu got the worst from the war, it now waits in hope to get the best from peace. Kandy's
operating theatre dead The 70-year -old theatre complex comprising three theatres, is a scene of water pouring from the lamps onto the operating theatre tables and a coat of thick mud on the floors. In addition there is a faulty electrical system. In January last year a male nurse had narrowly missed death after receiving an electric shock. The nurses had walked out on protest and the theatre was closed for over a month. Though a four-storeyed new operating theatre complex was proposed in 1994 and the plans drawn up, little has been done. So more than 2,000 operations are carried out each month in a building resembling a stable. "If there is no money to maintain the second largest hospital in this country which caters to patients from five provinces out of nine, it would mean there is no money to maintain the health sector in this country," Kandy GMOA President, Kanishka de Silva said. On Thursday, the consultants of the Kandy Teaching Hospital in a letter to the Kandy GMOA President informed him of the pathetic condition of the main operating theatre complex. "The main Operating Theatre complex is beyond repair and is of archaic value value only. It had been identified for demolition a long time ago. Working here is hazardous for patients, doctors and staff," they said. "The three general surgical units, the Cancer surgical unit and the Gastroenterology unit are on the verge of closure due to lack of facilities. Post-graduate training in these units is also at stake," the consultants warned. The consultants have called on the Health Ministry to act urgently as closure of especially the general surgery units would be a national calamity. The Kandy Hospital's, acting director Dr. Maithri Rajapakse confirming that the theatres were in an irreparable condition, said operations had not been carried out for about three weeks. He lamented that even the new cardio-thoraxic theatres were not functioning properly , as the elevators were dead, the roofs leaking, and the toilets blocked. He said they were trying to do some temporary repairs but the situation was grave. The Acting director said about Rs. 60 million was required to build the new theatre complex but the Health Ministry did not have funds. New
Bhikku group to fight for rights of Sinhala people "We need a strong force of bhikkus. We are forming an organisation to give leadership to the Sinhala people of the North and East and to defend our historical rights," he said. The Mahanayakes had extended their blessings to the forming of the organisation, Ven. Akkuretiye Nanda Thera said. Right
of reply 2. I never said
"several other manufacturers had also given samples of their
products for endorsement but SLDA after analysis had declined to
do so As for the written questions from Dr. Joel Fernando I obviously cannot disclose the source of information but I was told by the dependable source that Dr Krishnarasa refused to disclose how much the SLDA had been paid by the toothpaste producers and how the money had been used. In endorsing the two products the SLDA claims it is acting in the public interest and has moved directly into the area of consumer protection. In that event the SLDA cannot claim to be only a private body. It needs to be accountable to the public as to how much was received for the toothpaste endorsements and how the money was spent. |
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