COVID patients at Ayurveda Hospitals safe – State Minister Sisira
No fatalities have been reported among COVID patients who are under treatment at Ayurveda Hospitals, Rural and Ayurveda Hospitals Development State Minister Sisira Jayakody said.
He told Parliament yesterday that 12 Ayurveda Hospitals are being used as COVID-19 Treatment Centres and another five hospitals will be added very soon.
State Minister Jayakody said that 4,603 COVID-19 patients are being treated at Ayurveda Hospitals and added Ayurveda concoctions are given to them.
He said that a large number are dependent on indigenous therapies for various illnesses.
He said that the Ayurveda treatment has the remedies to bring this pandemic under control.
He said that the vaccination programme is progressing under the directions of the President. State Minister Jayakody said that a proposal has been handed over detailing a mechanism to monitor home quarantine programmes with the assistance of Community Health Officers.
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Specialists’ Committee should be appointed to control COVID – Ven Rathana Thera
MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said that a team comprising specialists must be appointed to implement plans on how we should handle the COVID pandemic. The Thera said that it is irrelevant who implements this plan as long as the desired result is achieved. He said that the country is facing a grave situation with around 100-200 people dying of COVID daily.
“This is a very sad situation and we need to see what we can do as a country and if the Government has done what is required of them. The military is needed at this point, but they should not be the ones making decisions. The decisions must be taken by a team of specialists and the military could be used to implement these plans,” the Thera said.
Ven. Rathana Thera expressed disapproval regarding the manner in which the Cabinet was formulated. “The Cabinet was appointed and now there is another reshuffle, but this was not done on any scientific basis. There is no responsible person in the Government that we can consult at a time of crisis. Even though I am with the Government, I regretfully say we are all drifting further by the day.
The Thera said that what is needed at this point is not a Cabinet reshuffle but to formulate the Cabinet positions on a scientific basis.
“The native or Ayurveda experts’ contribution has not been properly made use of in terms of the COVID Committees. There are hundreds of patients receiving treatment at the Navinna Ayurveda Hospital and there are some very critical patients. They give a native concoction that boosts immunity. Even China has found through research that people’s immunity should be boosted to fight the coronavirus. This is what our Ayurveda physicians are doing. Yet, it is regretful that these Ayurveda specialists are not included in these committees,” the Thera said.
The Thera, therefore, requested the Government to include the Ayurveda doctors, too, in their committees and obtain their knowledge in formulating mechanisms to combat the virus.
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Former President calls for meeting of all Parliamentarians
Former President Maithripala Sirisena requested the President to immediately convene a meeting of representatives of the political parties in Parliament, taking into account the present situation in the country.
Former President Sirisena made this request joining the debate on the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Temporary Provisions) Bill in Parliament yesterday. The former President Sirisena also said that all political parties should get together and solve the problem without finding fault with each other. He said that in the event of a national catastrophe, all should forget party differences and unite on behalf of the nation.
He said that Sri Lanka could have received more assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO). He said that Sri Lanka was not the only country facing a shortage of resources in the health service. He added that many countries are facing a shortage of resources in the health service. The former President said that everyone should be determined to overcome the pandemic situation.
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SC decisions should be provided to Parliament in Sinhala as well – MP Gevindu
Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Gevindu Kumaratunga made a request to the Speaker in Parliament yesterday to make the decisions of the Supreme Court available in Sinhala for the House.
MP Kumaratunga said that providing the decisions of the Supreme Court to the Parliament only in English and not in the mother tongue and official languages is unconstitutional.
MP Kumaratunga said that doing so will be a violation of the privileges of the Parliamentarians.
Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that the Supreme Court makes decisions in English and that copy is directly presented to Parliament.
MP Kumaratunga requested if the Justice Minister does not give a translated copy, the Speaker should take steps to provide a Sinhala copy through the Parliamentary Officials. The decisions of the Supreme Court on the 20th Amendment and the Port City Bill were communicated to this House only in English as well, MP Kumaratunga said.
Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said that the matter should be resolved via discussion.
Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC pointed out that the House was presented with the copy given by the Supreme Court. “The Supreme Court hears cases in English. I will inform the Supreme Court about the issue.” he said.
Opposition MP Hesha Vithanage said that the Government is using such language barriers as an advantage.
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Work together to defeat COVID threat – MP Prof. Vitharana
MP Prof. Tissa witharana urged all politicians to set aside their political differences and join hands and work together to defeat the COVID threat.
He said in Parliament yesterday that as this is a contagious disease, the Government should appoint COVID Committees and educate the people, especially the rural communities of the dangers posed by the COVID virus. He said that this is the only way that the country could overcome this pandemic situation.
The MP said that the people are still unaware of the danger of this virus and they are going about their daily activities as if there is no pandemic in the country. He said that the only way the people could be made to follow the proper health guidelines is by educating them of the risk posed by the coronavirus.
MP Prof. witharana said that vaccinating the population alone will not suffice. He added that health practices should be followed stringently to ensure that the virus does not spread.
He said that the media must be used to get this message to the masses, especially to the rural areas.
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Medical advices for lockdown disregarded – Former Health Minister
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP and former Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne accused the Government of disregarding medical advice to lock down the country and is risking the lives of the people. He was speaking in Parliament during the COVID-19 (Temporary Provisions) Bill Debate.
The SJB MP said that it is a ridiculous situation where certain Ministers are making statements that if medical specialists recommend a lockdown, the Government will comply. Every medical body in this country has been appealing to the Government to impose a lockdown, even the WHO, the MP said.
Quoting the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) letter sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa warning that the COVID pandemic in the Western Province is escalating to a high risk level, MP Senaratne said that the SLMA has warned that Sri Lanka is on the cusp of a major COVID-19 pandemic, even worse than any previous experiences with this virus.
He said that the SLMA is the country’s oldest medical union. He added that they had appealed to the Government to immediately lock down the country or impose a curfew to prevent further spread of the virus.
MP Senaratne said that all the medical colleges had collectively written to the President urging him to immediately impose movement restrictions, warning that all the hospitals had exceeded their full capacity and that there were no new beds available for new COVID patients.
He said that a meeting had been held between 14 Sri Lankan medical specialists and 16 World Health Organization specialists and they had warned that the daily cases could exceed 600 by mid-September. “But we have already reached that number,” the MP said.
He said that they had warned that deaths would reach 200 per day by October.
The former Health Minister highlighting a request made by a Minister who asked the people not to wait until the Government imposes restrictions as the lives of the public is at risk and appealed to the public to impose self-restrictions and protect their own lives, said that shows to what level the situation had deteriorated and the pathetic situation faced by the Health Ministry.
He said that in such a situation when all these medical specialists, all medical colleges and even medical specialists within the Government are admitting that the situation in the country is very serious, the Government still claims that they are waiting for the medical experts to recommend a lockdown. “What a ridiculous situation this is. Who are the medical experts that they are waiting for to give the signal to impose a lock-down?” the MP asked.
Former Health Minister Senaratne also accused the Government of hiding the factual COVID infection numbers and the number of deaths. He said that a military officer is behind the distorted numbers pertaining to COVID deaths and infections.
He said that a “Major General” has been found to be involved and he is the one who has been responsible for the collection of the numbers of infected and deaths and he hides the actual numbers and gives false figures misleading the public.
MP Senaratne said that this was the cause for the disparity in the number of people reported dead or infected from COVID.
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Attempt to weaken Judiciary System evident – JJB Leader
There is an attempt to weaken the independence of the Judiciary System in the country, Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (17) said in Parliament.
He was making a statement under the Standing Order 27(2).
MP Dissanayake said that a conference had been held recently with the participation of Judges and during the occasion, “indirect threats” had been levelled to get Court rulings in favour of the Government.
“This conference had been organised by the Judicial Service Commission. The Judges had been summoned to this seminar by a letter signed by the Commission Secretary. The letter had claimed that the attendance for the conference is compulsory and it would be taken in account for the promotions, foreign trainings and salary increases of the judges. If this is not an indirect threat, then what is it?” JJB Leader Dissanayake questioned. The JJB Leader said that during the conference, the rulings, which were given by the Judges for requests of the Police in recent times had been discussed as well.
“There had been a discussion about the rulings given for the requests of the Police regarding the recent protests. It had been claimed that such rulings could affect their professional life. No one can indirectly influence Judges regarding the rulings they give. It is a threat to the independence of the Judiciary. We believe that the subject Minister would give an explanation regarding this matter,” JJB Leader Dissanayake said.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
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