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The pedestrians and bus travellers of the Kollupitiya-Bambalapitiya
stretch of Galle Road were badly affected and inconvenienced with the
new uniflow scheme.
Many a big bouquet for the painstaking SSP and his dedicated team in
charge of this onerous exercise and scheme - anyone reasonable should
admit that any undertaking of this magnitude will have some complaint or
other.
From vehicles ranging from buses (long/short distance, private and
State owned), heavy duty vehicles, utility and school hire vans, the
ubiquitous trishaws and motor/cycles to be delegated and reallocated
onto the envisaged functional highways to come, viz: the Marine Drive,
the Galle Road and the Duplication Road envisages a very daunting
challenge indeed! Here's wishing much for the traffic boss and the boys.
The afore-mentioned is a complaint which will have to be addressed as
a popular discontentment - only a separate lane hugging the pavement on
this stretch only for buses should adequately solve the problem without
any discouragement of the scheme at all.
The scheme should have its fullest blessing once this is found
practical and plausible. Good wishes for all the traffic plans.
W. MEADOWS - Dehiwala
My dear comrade Sripathi, since I too were with you in the queue with
meal card to have 'panui masui-masui panui' 27 years ago in the navy,
your comments are not accepted by me as a retired sailor.
Although you have embraced dirty politics, don't ever forget you have
much more responsibility before you make these type of statements.
Because the children and the wives of our fallen heroes will curse you.
Please don't insult our soldiers as they give their lives for us to
live in Colombo and do dirty politics.
Irrespective of colour of the party, try and be an example for our
brave Comrades. I still remember what our great gunnery instructors
tought us those days...if you don't like to be in the party, better get
back to uniform and concur yourself in the battle field rather than
allowing 'Podian Prabha' to laugh at us....Reform yourself.
I recollect my mind how you were praising our heroes in the tele few
motnhs ago. Don't embrace pufthas...be with the real people with the
backborn who fight against the LTTE terrorists.
NIHAL - via email
Dispensing of drugs to public by pharmacies is vital and a
responsible service. That is why the laws of any country dictate that
medicine should only be handled and dispensed by a qualified
pharmacist(s).
However, it is apparent that today this law is blatantly misused and
disregarded by some in this country who run pharmacies from high streets
with only profit-orientated.
In the United Kingdom Health Ministry (Medicines Control Agency) has
a special service called Pharmacovigilence where there is a computer
network through which any one can at the tap of a key on a computer
keyboard report any pharmacy for violating or misusing the law, e.g. if
old drugs (after the expiry date) are sold, wrong drugs issued or even
to inform of the side effects of any drugs.
Once the complaints are deciphered, official inspectors make flying
visits and take effective and remedial action, at times withdrawing a
whole batch or batches of produced drugs after their investigations.
But in Sri Lanka, it is rather unfortunate that while the holder of a
pharmacist's certificate hangs his registration on a wall, incompetent
and unqualified sales staff are allowed to deal with prescriptions and
dispense medicine to the public willy nilly.
A particular case in point which I heard was where a so-called
pharmacist issued a drug (reading from a prescription) to a young child,
the after-effect of which was astounding - poor child collapsed!
Later it was found that the child had been given a wrong drug!
Another case was where a husband (my friend) went to collect his wife's
prescription for blood pressure was given tablets for diabetes!
It was fortunate that my friend could read the prescription and
compare with what he was given! This type of service is rather dangerous
to human life.
Unless one obtains drugs for their prescriptions from Osu Sala (the
government appointed pharmacy) it is very seldom that local pharmacies
(including little cubicles in supermarkets allocated as pharmacies) give
clear instructions in written form of the drugs they give out.
Just inserting few tablets into small envelopes without any label or
instructions to use even confuse the intelligent.
A few minutes prior to writing this letter I did a test run on the
closest pharmacy inside a major chain of supermarkets. I asked a young
chap (only one staff) behind the counter whether I could have some co-codamol
tablets BP.
He gave me a blank look. I then enquired whether he had co-dydramol
tablets 500 mg. It was crystal clear to me that the person who had been
kept there as the official pharmacist was not very knowledgeable.
At least I would have expected him to ask from me as to what this
drug was taken for! I had to finally simply spell out to him that both
were painkillers containing Paracetamol and Codeine.
Out of pure curiosity I enquired whether he was a qualified
pharmacist. He just waved his head - as if to say yes!
Are there any health inspectors who visit regularly or do flying
visits to check on the those who dispense drugs from pharmacies?
There are many pharmacies in the country all over, but one would cast
doubt as to their eligibility and qualifications in dealing with drugs!
Perhaps the Department Health should make it compulsory that anyone
dealing with the public in issuing drugs should wear an identity tag
clearly marked "Pharmacist" and ensure that he is a qualified
pharmacist; Also it should be made mandatory that any drug given to the
public should be clearly marked with the name of the drug and directions
of its use.
DR. TILAK S. FERNANDO - via email
The good news is that Minister Mangala Samaraweera is kaput.
Generally, it is the unexpected that happens. He did not expect to get
sacked and so kept taunting the President to dare. I am not privy to any
backroom stuff, nor have I ever seen the man in flesh.
But from desultory interest in politics, knowing inclinations,
lifestyle and thinking of dress designers from reading and watching TV,
his tenure - and now demise - is a fit.
He is the guy who 'spoilt' Chandrika by flattery, gaudy upahara
carnivals, peace marches, sudu nelum
candle-light-life-long-devotional-crap, street dramas, song and dance
publishing false biographies etc.
In short, he was the most extravagant and unauthentic minister, it
was our misfortune to be vested power to spend uselessly money of
others.
When I commented on a Paduru party, Managala and Seenibola organised
at Temple Trees with well known drunkards performing, the day after a
bomb blasr at Rajagiriya killed children, I titled my letter 'To
Chandrika with sorrow' because of her insensitivity, withdrawing thereby
an earlier 'To Chandrika with love'.
A dear friend, a senior minister in the present Cabinet told me
'these two fellows are the kota-kalisankarayas ruining Chandrika'.
Happily, President Mahinda ignores BS. Truman wrote in his
autobiography: 'It is a disaster for the President of the United States
of America to be surrounded by yes-men.'
Though Nixon learnt it the hard way, apparently, Ranil has not read
Truman and Eisenhower who defined leadership as 'the ability to get
others work for you because they want to work for you.'
It is sad when politicians living extravagantly cannot cope without
clout, patronage, free food and drink, unlimited petrol, first class
travel, four-wheel drives, international hobnobbing and catchers
disappear in one insane stroke.
Let us though be magnanimous, humour ourselves to think: 'It is all
in the interest of the people'!
KINGSLEY HEENDENIYA - Nugegoda
It is high time Minister Ranawaka take steps to preserve our
up-country, which is devastated with Pinus trees. (Reference Feb. 16)
These trees are totally unsuitable for our country. So we should take
steps to replant these areas gradually without giving undue advantage to
the unscrupulous elements.
KOSALA - via email
There is a big shortage of coins in our land these days. Where are
our coins? I am certainly grateful to the National Savings Bank for
introducing the coins collection for the children. Some banks are
issuing free tills.
An account of that all the coins are held up at home. Most of the
shops and hotels give a toffee for the balance money. Sometime back, a
stamp system was adopted. It was really sensible work indeed.
Why not send circulars to all the religious centres to collect their
coins monthly and produce them at the Central Bank?
MOULAVI NASEEM JAMALI - Katugastota |
