Quick Look

Eye camp to mark Glucoma Day

The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry along with the Association of Eye Specialists will conduct a special eye clinic for persons over 40 years to mark World Glucoma Day on March 12.

Arrangements have been made with the WHO and IA PB to implement the vision 2020 program in Sri Lanka with the objective of reducing blindness.

According to Health Ministry statistics in Sri Lanka of the 150,000 people affected with blindness, 120,000 are suffering from Glucoma.

New veterinary office to ease livestock farmers’ worries

K.A. Perera Wadduwa Special Corr.

Kalutara District Secretary S. Hapuarachchi has directed veterinary officials to ensure that the new veterinary office built at Ittapana in the Walallavita Divisional Secretariat area is opened soon for the convenience of dairy and poultry farmers in the area.

The District Secretary issued this directive at a meeting of the Kalutara District Agricultural Committee held at the District Secretariat recently. When it was pointed out at the meeting that the opening of the new office had been delayed due to lack of water facilities, Hapuarachchi said a well should be dug in the office compound as a temporary measure to tide over the situation.

The new office had been built at a cost of Rs. 400,000 to promote animal husbandry and improve the living conditions of the people in this area, he pointed out.

Foreign scholarships

The Higher Education Ministry is inviting applications for the following undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships.
Name of the Scholarship No. of Closing Date
Scholarships
People’s Republic of China 18 16.03.2009
-Postgraduate
People’s Republic of China 10 16.03.2009
-Undergraduate
Eastern China -Postgraduate 05 16.03.2009
IOC-ARC Scholarships of Indian 02 12.03.2009
Government -Postgraduate
Further details and application forms can be down loaded from the Ministry
website, www.mohe.gov.lk

Vocational training for IDPs

The Sri Lanka Vocational Training Authority has set up a Vocational Training Centre at Kadiragamar Welfare Village, Vavuniya for the benefit of members of the displaced families, at a total cost of Rs. 21 million.

The centre conducts seven training courses and already 500 trainees are following the courses.

The objective is to free the young generation from the war mentality and provide a better future for them. On successful completion, the trainees will be provided jobs in the private sector or self-employment ventures.

Development drive in Walapane

Walapane Somasiri Nuwara Eliya district group corr.

Construction work on 125 development projects are underway in the Walapane divisional Secretariat area under the Jathika Saviya - Gama Neguma movement.

Each project will receive Rs. 500,000 from the Nation Building Ministry.

Drug Shortage In Hosptials

Walapane Somasiri Nuwara Eliya district group corr.

There is an acute shortage of drugs at several divisional hospitals in the Nuwara Eliya district.

Indoor and out door patients are highly inconvenienced. According to hospital authorities more than 1,000 patients from remote villages and estates such as Hanguranketha, Walapane, Nuwara Eliya, Ambagamuwa and Kotmale arrive in these hospitals for OPD medical treatment.

Due to lack of certain essential drugs, patients are compelled to purchase the drugs at private pharmacies paying exorbitant rates.

The patients appeal to the health authorities to look in to this matter and remedy the situation.

Five dead in accident

Prasad Poornamal and Munneswaram Spl. Corr.

Five people died and 11 were injured in a van-lorry collision at Pallama, Chilaw last evening.

The injured were admitted to the Chilaw Hospital. The victims are residents of Periyamulla, Negombo. Two infants were among the dead.

Heist at exGNs home

P.B. Kirindeniya Nawalapitiya group corr.

A house belonging to a former Grama Seva Niladhari in Weligampola Village, in the Nawalapitiya police area was burgled at night and cash Rs. 24,000, gold jewellery and valuables removed.

The gang has entered the house from a back window by removing the iron rod.

All the inmates had been asleep at the time of the robbery.

The thieves have removed the bunch of keys which had been under the pillow of the housewife and opened the almirah and removed cash and gold jewellery. In addition they have taken the torch light from the householder, and mobile phone from the son.

Nawalapitiya police are investigating.

Contractors fail to deliver

Concreting of roads could be done by the community under the Jathika Saviya Gama Neguma program. Handing over of this work to contractors results in poor workmanship and delays, said Piyasena Gamage Minister of Vocational and Technical Training at the opening an SLFP branch office in Neluwa in the Hiniduma electorate.

Representatives at this meeting unanimously approved the proposal to provide humanitarian assistance, establish democracy and development activities in the North and East.

More than 5000 joined the SLFP and agreed to provide the labour necessary for road construction. The aim of the Mahinda Chinthana is to build the Gama. We cannot win elections unless we work for the benefit of the people, concluded the Minister.

Fined

Matale district group correspondent

Three persons who pleaded guilty for having five bottles of Kasippu in their possession, were fined Rs. 17,000 by Damulla Magistrate Nimal Ranaweera.

Motorcyclist dies in accident

P.B. Kirindeniya Nawalapitiya group corr.

A motorcyclist died on the spot when he crashed onto a lamp post around 11.00 a.m. at Warakawa, near Nawalapitiya.

The motorcyclist was identified as Eranda Kumara Jayasekera aged 29 of Meepitiya, Nawalapitiya.

The victim, attached to the Water Board, at Walapane was on his way home.

He was to be married in May this year.

According to the Nawalapitiya Traffic Police the victim’s mobile phone was found inside his helmet.

Fatal fall from coconut tree

A.W. Gunawardhana Matara Central correspondent

A bachelor aged 47 who climbed a coconut tree in his garden to pick coconuts had a fatal fall when the branch on which he was perched gave way. This was revealed at the inquest held into the death of Dickwellagamage Seneviratne (47) of Dangahawatta, Mukalanyaya, Urugamuwa in Dickwella.

The Inquirer into Sudden Deaths Matara, J.M. Lalith de Silva held the inquest at the Matara Hospital premises.

The deceased’s sisters-Dickwella Gamage Padma (38) and Dickwella Gamage Seelawathie (48) gave evidence assisted by P.S. Gaminie of Dickwella Police.

Dr. K.S. Dahanayake of Matara Hospital conducted the autopsy. The Inquirer recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Health hazard

Gamini Samaranayake Kandy Roving correspondent

The dumping of garbage has become a health hazard in the Madawala Bazaar in Pathadumbara Pradeshiya Sabha area.

The garbage collected at the Madawala town is dumped at the Madawala-Kandy main road, public bus halt close to the Madawala Public Ground.