Health Advisory Council

All Health Ministers in the past have vowed to implement a National Health Policy as the panacea to remedy the ills of an ailing health sector. But the country is still unaware if indeed we have such a National Policy on Health. If there is one then it has not been of much use as seen from the deplorable state of the country's health sector. It is in this light that the decision of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena to appoint an Advisory Council to strengthen the Health Service should be viewed.

Such a Council comprising professionals and specialists in the health sector would be a more dynamic proposition than an abstract National Health Policy.

One cannot think of another Ministry that came in for so much flak in the recent past as the Health Ministry. The failure to tackle the spread of Dengue, deaths resulting from the faulty Rubella Vaccine, contaminated syringes, outdated drugs, the fiasco at the blood bank were only the more prominent issues which the Health Ministry had to contend with. The problems were so acute that the new Minister upon assuming office promised a clean sweep with the past and even launched an investigation to ascertain the more serious lapses that occurred under his predecessor. This led to wide publicity that he was holding his predecessor liable for the mess in the health sector which contention he promptly squashed.

The fact of the matter is that the job of Health Minister under all dispensations was an unenviable one, being as it is a subject that has a direct bearing on the public. Hence any lapse, be it the shortage of drugs, overcrowding hospital wards or striking nurses often brought the Health Minister into the public spotlight and castigated for his/her inefficiency. Therefore it is rarely that a Health Minister was the most popular among the rest of the Ministers whose duties may not have a life or death bearing on the general public.

The Advisory Council will seek to advise the Minister on various subjects in the health sector. It goes without saying that the subject of health covers a wide gamut of areas and it is only appropriate that the Health Minister who is a layman get all the advice and counsel he could get so that he would be able to set things right in the Health sector. Such advice will also enable him to form a clear picture as to what areas and fields that need urgent attention.

It would be ideal if the Minister can also include trade union representatives in this Advisory Council. We say this because the Health Sector trade unions have been the most vociferous and demanding in the recent past which was seen in the spate of strikes that crippled the Health services. Therefore it would be good if a friendly dialogue was maintained with this segment for the conduct of a smooth health service. Another aspect the Advisory Council should promptly address is the question of the perennial drug shortage in Government hospitals.

Today the poor including pensioners with limited means are forced to purchase their drugs from private pharmacies due to the non availability of essential drugs in our Government hospitals making our 'free health service' a misnomer. It is hoped that Minister Sirisena with the assistance of this Advisory Counsel will succeed in sorting out the problems and shortcomings in the Health sector and restore the damaged trust in the country's health service resulting from the recent spate of incidents brought it public condemnation.

MPs, vaccines and injections

An English Daily ran a front page piece that said MPs are to be given knowledge on vaccines and injections. This is with a view to make them familiar with the subject to aid them during the current budget debate. How many of our peoples' representatives would be at ease with such a rarefied subject as injections and vaccines is anyone's guess.

Because it is common knowledge that a good majority of them could hardly pass muster even in the most rudimentary of subjects. Besides our MPs are presently injected with enough venom, going by their conduct in that august assembly and tutoring them to manipulate a syringe could only make this venom more potent. It will need the Speaker to arm himself with effective anti-venom to neutralize things in the Chambers. Besides an MP could also arm himself with a poison vial and during a free for all as witnessed more often could sink the needle into an opponent who would be non the wiser as to his fate. But this could also be a doubled-edged (or is to be pointed) weapon.

MPs who hurl abuse against each other invoking the bovine and canine species would now have a ready antidote for their rabid conduct by injecting themselves with the appropriate serum.