| News |
||||
|
In what is regarded as a scandalously dangerous trend, about 80% of childbirths in the private sector health system are taking place not by natural means but by caesarean sections, according to a survey conducted by a patients' rights group. A spokesman
for the action committee on justice for patients said that according
to guidelines of the World Health Organisation not more than 20%
of childbirths should take place by caesarean sections. If the figure
is more it means there is something badly wrong with the country's
health care process. While the ratio
in public hospitals like the De Soyza Maternity Home is well within
the WHO limit the ratio in the private sector has risen alarmingly
to as much as 80%. A qualified
London trained midwife with many years experience said, she was
appalled to know that some obstetricians performed caesarean sections
on mothers who could easily have a normal delivery. She said those
obstetricians did so just because they were either going on leave,
attending a foreign conference or some such situation. She said this
was a most unethical practice and could be dangerous to the mother
at a future pregnancy. "In the
De Soysa Lying-in Home or the Castle Street Maternity Hospital I
am quite sure the doctor in charge of a ward of pregnant mothers
wouldn't dream of performing a 'caesar' if he is not able to be
present but would pass this case on to another doctor who would
be present at the normal birth of the baby. Mothers who go to these
hospitals are mostly poor patients who cannot afford to pay large
fees to see an obstetrician and if the occasion arises a caesarean
would be performed free!! ", she said Meanwhile the Action Committee on Justice for patients at a meeting on Thursday decided to prepare a massive public petition protesting against the bitter medicine that the US administration is giving to billions of poor people in the third world. At a meeting of the World Trading Organisation in Geneva last month, the Bush administration suddenly reversed its policy and decided to block a parallel imports concession whereby billions of people in the third world would have been able to get essential drugs at low prices. The US administration under the direct guidance of Vice President Dick Cheney told the WTO the concession needed to be reviewed because it might seriously affect profits of giant global drug companies. The spokesman for the committee said the petition would be handed over to the US Embassy and others. By Nilika
Kasturisinghe The Executive
Director of the Commonwealth Press Union, Ms. Lindsay Ross speaking
at a news briefing said the Opening Ceremony will be held at the
BMICH and it will be followed by a reception at Temple Trees, hosted
by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to welcome the delegates
attending the conference. She said, the
speakers at the conference will include Constitutional Affairs Minister
G.L. Peiris, former Speaker of the British Parliament Rt. Hon. The
Baroness Boothroyd and well-known editors and publishers from commonwealth
countries. The peace process in Sri Lanka, the war against terrorism,
the electronic revolution and future implications for the Commonwealth
newspaper industry are among the subjects that will be discussed. Advertising,
marketing and publishing issues such as branding across cultural
and political divides and understanding the next generation of consumers
will be addressed. A special talk
on the subject "Photo-journalism: The neglected weapon in a
newspaper's armoury" is to be delivered by the pictures editor
of the Associated Press, Horst Faas. UN Special
Rapporteur on the Independence of the Judiciary, Malaysia, will
focus on, the role of an independent judiciary in maintaining press
freedom. The closing
keynote address is to be delivered by the Commonwealth Secretary-General
Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon. The Commonwealth newspaper conference is held every two years, each time in a different region. The last conference was held in Barbados two years ago, Ms. Ross said, adding "I felt it was a particularly inspirational time to bring it to Sri Lanka." Speaking on Sri Lanka being selected as the location of this conference, "it's almost as if it were the centre of the Commonwealth", she added. Councillor's son on the run with counterfeit currency Counterfeit
currency notes amounting to about Rs. 30,000 are still with a son
of a Uva Provincial Councillor, sources from the Criminal Investigation
Department (CID) told the Sunday Times yesterday. The suspect
is absconding the sources added. The production
of spurious currency notes came to light when a man reported to
the Welimada police that he received five counterfeit 1,000 rupee
currency notes. Further investigations led to the arrest of 14 suspects
and the recovery of 162,000 counterfeit currency notes. "Some counterfeit currency notes had been destroyed by the suspects before the CID team arrested them," the CID officer handling the investigation said. He added that middlemen in the currency racket had sold spurious Rs. 1,000 currency notes at Rs. 500 each. SLPI as watchdog of press freedom The government
has welcomed the establishment of the Sri Lanka Press Institute
(SLPI) by the Newspaper Society, the Editor's Guild and the Free
Media Movement, a press release from the Prime Minister’s office
states. The primary
objects of the Sri Lanka Press Institute are to promote press freedom
and enhance the professional standards of media personnel in Sri
Lanka .Towards this end, the SLPI will establish both a college
of Journalism and a self regulatory Press Complaints Commission,
a government press release said. 'Though the
government has no role whatsoever over its management it would welcome
financial and other support to the newly formed SLPI by the International
community," Mr.Bradman Weerakoon, secretary to the Prime Minister
told a meeting of prospective foreign donors held at the Prime Minister's
office last Friday. Noting that
the new national body would require adequate resources to ensure
the success of its programmes, Mr. Weerakoon told representatives
of Colombo based diplomatic missions and NGOs that "financial
support to help the SLPI embark on its tasks vigorously became a
priority." He said achieving
the aims and objectives of the SLPI would not only contribute to
good governance and the creation of a new media culture, but also
bring the skills of Sri Lanka's media on par with their counterparts
in developed democracies. He said the
government had already repealed the laws of criminal defamation
and was currently working on a draft Freedom of Information Act.
Several other laws that impacted on media freedom were also being
looked into by the Attorney General and the Ministry of Justice,
he added. Mr. Weerakoon
pointed out that the government believed in supporting media independence
and welcomed the three organizations joining hands to take measures
to ensure good governance in the country. Many international agencies
adopted the same approach towards media freedom and good governance
he said. Already UNESCO
has pledged its support with financial assistance and technical
advice for the SLPI's Journalism College, and he believed that foreign
governments agencies and non governmental organizations will now
find a local collaborator backed by the country's publishers, editors
and working journalists to train journalists, hold seminars and
workshops and have mutual exchange of press persons Mr. Weerakoon
said. By way of lending
tangible support for the ideals of the SLPI, the government has
decided to hand over the existing Sri Lanka Television training
institute at Independence square to the SLPI, and abolish the statutory
Press Council. They were only awaiting the appointment of the self
regulatory Press Complaints Commission, he said. Government
has no part to play in the administration of the SLPI and all monies
channelled through it will be transferred automatically to the SLPI.
Mr. Weerakoon assured, adding that the government in this instance
will only act as the facilitator for foreign funding. Mr. Ranjit
Wijewardene, President of the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka outlined
the concept of establishing the SLPI which would be the parent body
that would spearhead the two top most priorities of the profession
- those of a long felt need for media training in the country as
well as creating a mechanism whereby the public could complain against
press violations and obtain redress cheaply and speedily from a
tribunal independent both of the government and the Press. He said the
establishment of the SLPI has been made after nearly three years
of discussions within the three major media unions in the country,
together with a host of well recognized international media groups
and experts. The newspaper
industry in Sri Lanka was very small and subject to the vagaries
of the world market prices of newsprint. There were good years and
sometimes very bad years. He explained the difficulties for the
industry alone to carry the burden of financing the projects envisaged
by the SLPI. Tracing the
history of seeking funding, Mr. Wijewardene said that they had several
discussions in the recent past with international agencies such
as the World Bank, UNDP etc. but were hamstrung by government regulations
which required foreign funding to be channeled through the Treasury.
Foreign agencies were willing to help, but were themselves not prepared
to permit the state to disperse their funds for local media projects
because of the strings usually attached by the government. The industry
desperately needs trained journalists to feed the increasing number
of media groups and three very detailed reports from the UK based
Thompson Foundation, UNESCO- New Delhi, and a consultant formerly
from the University of Colombo are with them for implementation,
he said. Mr. Bruce A.
Lohof from the US Embassy said that he had served in ten countries
and found the standard of journalism practiced in Sri Lanka "very
high". He assured his government's earnest consideration of
the project proposals both for the Journalism college and the press
Complaints Commission. He said he
looks forward to further discussions on how to assist what looked
like salutary projects engaged by the Sri Lankan Press and suggested
the creation of Reader Councils from where the industry could obtain
a feedback of its strengths and weaknesses. Mr. Carol Becker,
Mission Director from the US Agency for international development,
Ms. Sheilla Richards from Swedish SIDA and Mr. Jeong Yeon Don from
the korean Embassy also expressed their support. Representatives from the Newspaper Society, the Editors Guild and the Free Media Movement were present at the meeting together with Mr. Kumar Abeysinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Mass communications. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
