Disaster Management System needed for health sector - Nimal Siripala

Lakmini Rodrigo

COLOMBO: There is a need for a 'Disaster Management system' for the health sector in the country to face up to the challenges posed by continuous strikes occurring in the health service, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said yesterday.

Speaking at a Media Conference at the Health Education Bureau held to announce the 'World Health Day' which falls on April 7, Minister de Silva said that the theme for this year "Working Together For Health" was very fitting in the context of Sri Lanka.

He added that health sector workers have set an ironic example to this by carrying out strike after strike for rupees and cents. He added that the non-executive trade unions of the health sector risk the poor patients' lives by carrying out strike actions in this manner.

Minister de Silva paid tribute to that the Government Medical Officers' Association, Medical Administrators and the Nurses' Union for giving their utmost support to the State health sector by not carrying out strikes for mere rupees and cents.

The Minister went onto say that as some pharmacists of Government hospitals were on strike yesterday, he had taken action to overcome the difficulties faced by the public by requesting all the 'Osusala' outlets to issue medicine to the prescriptions issued by the hospital doctors and the Ministry would bear the cost.

As one other step of the 'disaster management' system a Central Laboratory would be established in Colombo from May 1, to overcome the problems faced by the patients when laboratory technicians go on strike, he added.

Minister De Silva also disclosed that action had been taken to establish similar laboratories in all districts in the country as soon as possible. Though diseases like smallpox have been eradicated from the world, new diseases like HIV and diabetes have been spreading rapidly despite the many awareness programmes carried out, he told the media.

The Minister emphasised the need for the changes in the behavioural patterns and attitudes of people to improve healthcare facilities in the country and to free the nation from many other diseases.

While lamenting on the work classifications found within the health sector, the Minister said that all those involved in healthcare should be ready to carry out any duty when such services were in demand to assist the patients who come their care without categorization of their work, while maintaining accurate co-ordination within the sector to give a new face-lift to the health sector, he added.

The Mahinda Chinthanaya and the recent victory in the Local Polls have given the government extra strength and courage to carry out major changes in the health sector and enhance its efficacy, he added.