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Did political rivalry cause his death?
By Chris Kamalendran
The residents of the tourist town of Hikkaduwa were last week horified on learning of the tragic death of the Urban Council Chairman Gamini Pinnaduwa
He was allegedly shot dead by unidentified persons while seated at his office desk.
Two days after the murder the tourists who were visiting the area were surprised to see shops and restaurants closing up early anticipating violence or retaliatory attacks that could take place on the day of the funeral.

While the motives for the chairman's murder are being investigated, the preliminary investigations have revealed that the murder may have been politically motivated because of the strong rivalry that is alleged to have existed with his opponents in the PA.

The first incident believed to be linked with the murder of Mr. Pinnaduwa was reported on March 20 when one of his former close associates who later became a supporter of the former PA chairman of the Hikkaduwa Pradeshiya Sabhawa was shot dead.
The victim identified as Sharm was found dead of gun shot injuries and sniffer dogs used by the Police had ended up at the house of a UNP supporter but the police were unable to trace him.

After the murder of the late Chairman's former associate known as Sharm, tension had gripped the area with threats allegedly directed at the late Mr. Pinnaduwa.
Late Mr. Pinnaduwa was one among many who had campaigned for a shake up of Hikkaduwa police station because of the unsatisfactory security situation in the area.
On the day of the unfortunate incident the UC chairman on his way home from a meeting had dropped in at his office.

Mr. Pinnaduwa's personal assistant who was in the room at the time witnessed the shooting. 'We had been provided with a new computer and an employee from the company was demonstrating the handling of the computer when suddenly two persons clad in trousers barged into the room', the personal assistant said.
'I heard a burst of gunfire and hid my head in fear.

I then heard glasses being shattered', she said. Still in a state of shock, she told The Sunday Times that soon after the shooting the two persons had vanished from the scene and she too had run out. UC secretary L.Amarakoon said he had heard a sound similar to a burst of fire crackers and as he rushed in the direction the Chairman's room he found Mr. Pinnaduwa lying in a pool of blood.

The investigations into the incident has been handed over to the CID. According to investigators, the two persons reportedly involved in the slaying of the UC Chairman had collided with a lorry while making their escape on a motorcycle. But the police have been checking hospitals to ascertain whether two injured persons had admitted themselves to hospitals, but so far have drawn a blank.

Police say they are inclined to believe that political rivalry could have led to the incident. Restaurant owners and shop keepers say that during the past few weeks a number of other incidents of a break down in law and order had been reported and this trend has been unhealthy for the tourist industry.

'Tourist get disturbed by these incidents. Some of them are scared to go out at nights', one of the restaurant owners said. The villagers feel that these incidents could lead up to an increase in political rivalry leading to tension between supporters of the two main parties.

Health Department prepared to treat SARS patients
By Nalaka Nonis
Special precautionary measures have been taken by the Health Ministry to prevent the fast spreading Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) from reaching Sri Lanka, chief epidemiologist T.A. Kulathilake told The Sunday Times.

He said the Quarantine Division of the Airport has been instructed to keep a sharp lookout for people coming to Sri Lanka especially from Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

A spokesman for the Quarantine Division said that four notices, requesting travellers to be cautious have been put out at the airport. They have been requested to report immediately to the Quarantine Division in the airport should any person experience the symptoms of SARS which is said to be cough, cold, fever and respiratory failure.

The Quarantine Division said that they have so far not detected any person with the SARS symptoms. It has been reported that though a few people, suffering from cough and fever had come to the Quarantine Division they were not found to be suffering from SARS.

Should a person be detected with this disease, the Quarantine Division has been asked to send him immediately to the Colombo National Hospital or Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Borella. In addition masks have been provided to the Quarantine Division in case they have to deal with any SARC positive patients.

Dr. Kulathilake said that hospitals throughout the country have been instructed as to how they are to treat a SARS patient. "We have instructed the hospitals, the manner in which they should treat patients in case of a detection.

Doctors have been instructed to transport such patients immediately to either the Colombo National Hospital or Lady Ridgeway Hospital which is allocated for children who may suffer from this disease but fortunately we have not detected any patient suffering from this strain of pneumonia", the chief epidemiologist said.

He added that the World Health Organisation is continuously sending them technical advice on how to prevent this disease and that the WHO is prepared to provide equipment such as masks and other equipment if necessary.

Lookout for these symptoms
The main symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are, high fever (>38 Celsius) a dry cough, shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties.
Chest X-rays indicative of pneumonia are also noticed. SARS may be associated with other symptoms too including headaches, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, a vague feeling of discomfort, confusion, rash and diarrhoea. Based on currently available evidence, close contact with an infected person is needed for the infective agent to spread from one person to another.

Contact with aerosolised (exhaled) droplets and bodily secretions from an infected person might also lead to its spreading. Patients who are found to be SARS positive should be placed in an isolation unit. Strict respiratory and mucusol barrier nursing is recommended.

It is important that suspected cases are isolated from other patients and placed in their own hospital room. SARS appears to be less infectious than influenza. The incubation period is short, estimated to range from 2-7 days, with 3-5 days being more common.

However, the speed of international travel creates a risk in that cases can rapidly spread around the world. World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that global surveillance continues n and that suspected cases be reported to national health authorities.

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