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to the Editor |
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Carry on curing However, in
Sri Lanka, the director of the AIDS programme, according to newspaper
reports, appears to be thinking of utilizing the limited resources
available for them to treat AIDS patients. To assess the
gravity of the AIDS problem in Sri Lanka, it is necessary to make
a proper estimate of the number of cases. The figure quoted at a
recent forum was 8,700 according to a Sunday newspaper. But, the
director says it is 7,500. According to
the UNAIDS website, the Sri Lanka HIV/AIDS estimate is only 4,800
for end 2001. Are people inflating figures to get more aid? If the
programme does not have a proper estimate how could the authorities
estimate the cost for treating patients? While the Health
Ministry has made available drugs for prevention, hardly any islandwide
programme has been implemented in this direction. Maybe the doctors
in charge of the programme do not believe that prevention is better
than cure or are following a new doctor series - carry on curing.
A fine example
for consensus politics! But it is almost
impossible to achieve - or so it seemed. Either the members of the
ruling party or the members of the opposition would jump the gun
and verbal missiles are fired at random resulting in eternal squabbles.
But the impossible
has happened at last. All members of Parliament are to be provided
with duty free safari jeeps and it has apparently been accepted
by all MPs, irrespective of party affiliations. I have not
heard a whimper of a dissent from any MP. Nobody has felt that this
is not the time for such a bonanza. A typical example of a conscience
vote. Is it not great
to see our representatives eschewing petty party differences and
giving priority to this burning national problem? Bus chief 'talking
bull'? He has said
he will stop the import of 2000 buses to be added to the State transport
services and warned that the private bus owners would launch a strike
unless the government changes its decision. Who is he to
make such statements? Does he think he is the ruler of Sri Lanka?
Go ahead, Mr. Minister, and carry out your decision. The commuters
are with you. The private
bus service has become a bitter pill for us. We always prefer a
state-run service to those private bone-crushers. We do not want
to be dictated by private bus conductors. The private
bus union boss has said there are 800 excess buses on the roads.
Where are they? Some jam-packed private buses move at snail pace
while others have become speed maniacs who kill innocent pedestrians.
Where is the discipline? Why are they stopping at all odd halts? You must first
put your house in order, Mr. Union President. We the commuters
are looking forward to a better and improved state-run service from
the new management which recently took over 40 percent stakes in
six cluster bus companies. Horror
at Castle Hospital Upon calling
the hospital, we were told to be there as early as possible to get
a number as there would be more than 100 women to obtain 70 numbers.
My wife and
I went to the Castle Hospital by 2.30 a.m. There were
already ten or twelve pregnant mothers in the queue outside the
hospital gate. All these pregnant
women had to stand in the queue till 5.45 a.m. braving the chilly
breeze and speeding vehicles. No one knows
who introduced this stupid system but I am quite sure it comes from
the brainless and heartless officials of the Castle Hospital. On that day,
I saw six mothers fainting but the arrogant and ruthless staff manning
the gates did not allow them to enter the hospital premises and
sit on the benches inside. Doctors advise
pregnant women to avoid bad weather, shocks and strenuous work.
But when the doctors themselves turn a blind eye to what happens
outside the Castle Hospital, where can these women turn to? It is sad that
none of the women organisations has seen this horror so far. How can they
see it, when they hold their seminars and meetings at five-star
hotels? We also have
ministers and deputy ministers for health and women's affairs. Won't
they at least wake up to see the pre-dawn torture for pregnant women
outside the Castle Hospital gates? PA,
please don't do it Please permit
me to comment on this. While appreciating the need to disarm the
LTTE, one must not derail or hijack the peace process. Let us not
forget the recent Northern Ireland deadlock over decommissioning
of weapons. The LTTE must
certainly demonstrate to the world its sincere and genuine commitment
to peace by decommissioning its weapons. On the other
hand, the PA being the main opposition party must not repeat the
mistakes made by every opposition party since the 1950s. I do not think
history will forget and forgive J.R. Jayewardene, when he wanted
to march to Kandy to prevent S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike from making Tamil
also an official language after his tragic Sinhala only policy of
1956. K.M. de Silva
and Howard Wriggins in their book on J.R. Jayewardene have said
that even the likes of M. D. Banda supported J.R. Jayewardene in
his effort to derail the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam pact. Thereafter,
every opposition has scuttled moves by the party in office to solve
the ethnic problem. This must not happen this time. The task of
every opposition should be to work with the government for the good
of the country. Therefore, it is necessary that the present opposition
supports the government, so that peace with justice and equality
will be achieved for all our people. 'GCSU
not giving my money back' 'Letters
to the Editor' should be brief and to the point.
Address them to: 'Letters to the Editor, The Sunday Times, P.O.Box 1136, Colombo. Or e-mail to steditor@wijeya.lk or stfeat@wijeya.lk Please note that letters cannot be acknowledged or returned. |
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