18th April 1999

• Passing judgement on the Judges
• The Cancer Hospital
• Give credit where it is due
• Carrying on regardless
• Take disgust a step further

Passing judgement on the Judges

All parties profess that they will shed all petty party differences when it comes to matters of national importance.

Here is an instance where they can show their sincerity and good faith.

In the recent past it was reported that the President had allegedly stated that certain judges were appointed by the UNP inferring that biased judgements in favour of a particular party were possible.

This is a serious situation where the Head of State herself implies that judges and the Judiciary cannot be relied upon to act impartially.

The President invariably is a Party leader and the appointment of judges by the President, as the President herself suspects, creates in the minds of the public a justifiable doubt.

Though the whole world regards our Judiciary as one of the best - the President has her doubts.

Hence may I appeal to all parties to pass a Bill in Parliament - where the appointment of Judges is given to a neutral body consisting of the Chief Justice and a limited number of Supreme Court Judges.

This, I am sure, will remove any doubts as to the integrity of our Judiciary.

D.M. Victor E. Pieris
Kalutara

The Cancer Hospital

I read Tharuka Dissan aike's valuable article on the Cancer Hospital in The Sunday Times of April 4.

I am not ignorant about the Cancer Institute as I used to take my wife there regularly for nearly three years before her death in August 1996. And after her death I used to take a dear friend of mine for radium therapy.

Further I am a life member of the Cancer Society.

I would like to ask why the Cancer Hospital at Maharagama has only seven oncologists. And why are there only two oncologists each at Kandy and Galle and only one at Anuradhapura?

Why has the course which trains doctors to become oncologists not been conducted for the past four years when there is such a woeful shortage of oncologists?

Surely the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine is to blame. Apart from those trained at the PGIM, there are scholarships offered by the World Health Organization. for overseas training. Are they not being utilized? Evidently there is little or no planning at the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine.

The post of Director of the PGIM has been advertised. In the public interest the new Director must be a strong personality who can get the Minister, the UGC and the Council of the University of Colombo to re-vitalise the Board of the PGIM to plan the various specialities in accordance with the demand for them.

When the Task Force on Health Policy was sitting I gave my copy of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's Report on Private Medical Services to the National Development Council. This gives detailed statistics of the various medical specialities in the UK. I have not seen a similar document here.

Secondly, why is the Cancer Society's Home under-utilized? It is clean and set in beautiful surroundings. It has room for 83 patients apart from the 34 beds in the Hospice provided by Mr. Sohli Captain.

The Hospice, aptly named Shanta Sevana, had only four terminally ill patients on the day I visited it recently. This building was officially opened on 11.1.96, over three years ago but nearly 30 beds were not utilized as far as I could see.

Why cannot some of the patients in this overcrowded hospital, particularly those who are terminally ill, be transferred to the Cancer Society's Hospice?

F.D.C.Wijesinghe,
Kotte.

Give credit where it is due

Following a resolution moved in the Colombo Municipal Council in early 1955 by Anthony Marcellus (who was the member representing Kotahena East at that time) for the construction of a swimming pool and community centre, in Mayfield Lane, Kotahena, the Council approved the motion. The foundation stone for this project was laid by Mr. Marcellus himself at the request of the then Mayor the late Dr. N. M. Perera. The swimming pool and community centre was declared open by the then Mayor M.H. Mohamed. The first officer- in-charge of this laudable project was the late Mr. Raja Hettiarachchi. The Sunday Times of May 29, 1960 carried an article under the heading "A Model Community Centre, City Council's Pride" that paid a glowing tribute to Mr. Marcellus who was described as the enterprising and energetic city father who fighting severe odds, had succeeded in transforming the face of Kotahena. This swimming pool was the first of its kind and to date continues to be the one and only swimming pool maintained by the Council. It was most unfortunate that the administration of the Council had neglected to maintain this unique amenity which benefited not only the residents of Kotahena East but also Colombo North. The pool was kept closed for a considerable period of time due to lack of maintenance.

On January 17, 1997 Mr. Marcellus once again got activated and along with Mr. Harris Wickramatunge, a former Deputy Mayor spoke to the then Mayor to explain this situation. The Mayor got down the Sports Director Mr. A. Polonowita and instructed him to to co-ordinate any action necessary to re-open the pool with Mr. Marcellus. Unfortunately Mr. Polonowita retired and whoever succeeded him was obviously unaware of the background of this project.

Subsequently the plaque that had been erected and unveiled by the then Mayor M. H. Mohamed together with the name of the member responsible for this project Mr. Anthony Marcellus, had been blacked out. On Mr. Marcellus being informed of this by a ratepayer he had by appointment along with Mr. Mahendran, MMC spoken to the Mayor and informed him of this unwarranted action. Mr. Karu Jayasuriya apologized to Mr. Marcellus and ordered the status quo to be restored, which was promptly attended to.

Subsequently an invitation was sent out by the present Directress of Sports Mrs. Trixie J. Nanayakkara inviting the public to attend an opening ceremony of the Municipal swimming pool modernised at the request of Mr. K. B. Lilantha Perera, J.P., MMC. The ceremony was held on March 9, 1999 at 4.30 P.M. under the patronage of Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya. Obviously this had been timed to give publicity to some interested party due to the Provincial Council elections, but nothing unique has been done other than replacing some floor tiles in the pool.

The Colombo Municipal Council seems to be revelling in giving credit to persons who had nothing to do with them by installing plaques with names of other people - another such instance is the Kotahena Municipal Supermarket. This was executed on a resolution by the then Ward Member who was also the Deputy Mayor at the time, Mr. Harris Wickramatunge. The foundation stone for this project was installed by the then Mayor A.H.M. Fowzie but subsequently this foundation stone had vanished and today there is a plaque with the names of Mr. R. Premadasa, Mr. M. Vincent Perera and Mr. K.B. Christie Perera although none of them had any hand in this project.

The honourable thing that should be done now is to name the swimming pool "Anthony Marcellus Swimming Pool and Community Centre". Where names of streets have been changed to commemorate dead members who have done nothing for the community, would it be a crime to name a project after one who had sweated against all odds to see the fruition of his labour?

R. WEERAKOON,
Colombo 13.

Carrying on regardless

The Sri Lanka cricket team has been in the news frequently in the recent past, especially because of their string of poor performances, even against mediocre opponents.

Their performance against India in the Asia Cup needs no comment, and against Pakistan, invites only snickers of embarrassment. It is universally accepted that the bowling (without Murali) is toothless, and the fielding is beyond description.

In Pakistan's first innings, in the Asia Cup final in Dhaka, to my knowledge, our fielders dropped a record of nine catches, and fumbled two sure run-outs.

With a record of such poor performances, I can't understand why the coach hasn't been shown the door yet by the BCCSL. In any other country, especially in football playing countries, one defeat for the team invariably results in the on-the-spot sacking of the coach (and sometimes even the manager). In more gentlemanly teams, the coach doesn't wait to be sacked, but volunteers his resignation through sheer shame.

Our team is next due to proceed to the World Cup clash in the UK in May. Unless someone in the BCCSL, takes some drastic action to hone and fine-tune the team, it would be better to withdraw from that competition, because, as sure as God made little apples, our team is proceeding there to award records to every new cricket team that has joined the tournament. There can be no doubt that, at the expense of the SL team, other teams will be breaking and/or setting up all kinds of new cricketing records, like the highest partnerships, bowling out for lowest total, hat-tricks and etc. an nauseam. (Refer SL's second inning in the Asia Cup final in Dhaka)

Our intrepid Captain Cool, who has expressed his hope to retire after the World Cup, presumably hoping to bow out gloriously and on top of the sport, will more likely be forced to crawl away. This is a scenario which I, being a great admirer of his skill and tacticianship on the field, would not wish on my worst enemy, leave alone one of the greatest cricket captains that the game has produced. I sincerely hope that before the fateful day, someone, somewhere, with sense, will avert this coming disaster.

John Appaswamy
Mount Lavinia

Take disgust a step further

It was encouraging to read statements of condemnation regarding the alleged incidents at the AGM of the Cricket Board by former Sri Lankan Captain Michael Tissera and former Board officials Ian Peiris and S. Skandakumar. Well done!

But to merely pontify will not do. Why don't they take their disgust a step further and discuss possible solutions to the current problems within the Cricket Administration.

The whole cricketing world must be shocked at our crude behaviour especially at a time when we are the defending champions of the World Cup.

What a way to motivate our cricketers. What an example to the younger generation!

Ronnie Weerakoon
Mount Lavinia

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