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The tirade against doctors mostly the specialists and not so much the
general practitioners does not seem to end but appears to extend almost
non-stop each complainant trying to outdo the other quoting their own
experiences which no doubt had been pitiful and harrowing at the hands
or feet of medical specialists.
Some of those who have so suffered are keen to put their
case/versions across in a veritable sense of the genuinely aggrieved and
thus relieve themselves to some extent of the mental agony they have
suffered.
Some of them, in their agony, seemed to have adopted near-abusive
language to deride and condemn some of the medical specialists who are
alleged to have had no sense of politeness and kindness in their
dealings with the patients and their escorts.
Aspects of these allegations and counter explanations need to be
looked at in a broad perspective, giving due consideration to the fact
that the entire social set up in the strangle hold of the current
consumerist economy drives - all of us entrapped in its ever tightening
tentacles to outdo and outsmart others in a mad rush in the rat race for
one upmanship.
It is at this juncture that the oft quoted dictum “to err is human to
forgive is divine” should come into play to soften up frayed and heated
nerves in mind and body of all affected parties.
This is the time to dispassionately analyse the whole situation
without rancour to any quarter and in fairness to all concerned. All
involved parties should not only be human but, palpably humane as well,
shutting out any lingering streak’s of wrathful thought and action.
In an article entitled “Doctors - not the root cause of all evil”,
carried in a newspaper Dr Sarath Gamini Silva, a learned medical person
had convincingly dealt with all aspects pertaining to both the mental
and physical attributes along with the limitations and tribulations of
medical specialists in their restricted work field. Aspects of their
character and professional practice were also pointed out indicating the
gamut of trial and error some of them are subject to as human beings.
The patients and their caretakers should give some thought and
consideration to the ground-realities and be reasonable in their
judgement of the medical specialists.
R M A B Dassanayake
Matale
The Fisheries Minister is making a commendable effort to stabilize
fish prices in the market by opening more Fisheries Corp stalls and
deploying sales vans at popular market places. One such sales van used
to come to Kohuwala junction twice a week to the relief of the consumers
in and around Kohuwala who were able to add protein value to their daily
diet without much strain on their purse.
This would have hurt the fish mudalali at Kohuwala who always had the
monopoly. A powerful political lady of the area came to his rescue and
made Kohuwala out of bounds for the fish sales van.
Now it is parked far away from Kohuwla junction and not accessible to
the ordinary consumers who do not use vehicles for marketing.
The political lady will have to make a choice between the Fish
Mudalali and her voters who will have the chance to exercise their
choice in the near future I request the Minister to open a fish stall at
Kohuwala or Kalubowila to relieve the aggrieved consumers.
GS
Kohuwala
Several thousands of fish eating consumers in and around the city of
Nugegoda have to pay exorbitant prices to purchase fish for their daily
consumption from the three stalls, viz: two situated in the premises of
the Super Market and the other at the Nugegoda pola.
The owners of these fish stalls raise the prices of fish at their own
will and fancy without any consideration towards consumers. Therefore on
behalf of several thousands of fish consumers in and around Nugegoda, I
request the Fisheries Minister to make arrangements to establish a
Fisheries Corporation stall at the building which is being constructed
to accommodate various vendors of the existing pola.
A new fisheries stall, if set up would ease to a certain extent the
high prices the consumers have to pay to the unscrupulous fish stall
owners.
D R Fernando
Over the years there have been numerous letters on granting
expatriate workers in the Middle East and other countries the privilege
of importing any vehicle of their choice ‘Duty Free’.
Some sort of scheme should be formulated taking into consideration
the number of years of foreign employment, the salary earned and the
amounts remitted to Sri Lanka. A minimum period of years should be
stipulated.
The gross remittances so far have been US$ 3.8 billion and 60 percent
of the total remittances come from the Middle East alone and are due to
increase by years end.
In addition our unemployment problem is also partially solved by Sri
Lankans leaving for employment abroad. Therefore, it should be a fitting
reward to offer a ‘Duty Free Permit’ to those returning after duty
abroad.
In fact more incentives should be granted to expatriate workers like
Life Insurance, Housing loans, Health Insurance etc.
This will in turn encourage more Sri Lankans to seek jobs abroad and
thereby raise collective remittances to boost the economy while also
adding to the coffers of the SLBFE.
As all previous Ministers have only paid “lip service” to proposals
concerning the expatriate workers, let us hope the new Minister in
charge of Foreign Employment will give his early attention to this
matter.
Vernon Dawson
Dehiwala
The date January 21, 2011 time at 5.00 pm. Place Panadura Railway
Station;.
This is to show my gratitudes to a kind person of Panadura.
While I was waiting at the station, stopping and locking the vehicle
I went to see the area. To pick up the person from Galle Train from
Colombo I came back to the place.
Suddenly a gentleman with a young girl on the pillion of the motor
bike stopped me and asked showing a key ‘is this yours’. I said yes.
I was much shocked and could not believe my eyes and thanked them. It
was the key of the car.
These two had seen the key dropping from my trouser pocket, and
collecting it they had gone in search of me because at that time I was
missing.
They had come back to give the key to me thinking that I was in
trouble now.
This showed that there are very kind helpful and understanding people
in Sri Lanka. If these two were not there I would have to face so much
trouble. I travelled from Galle to Panadura for a function. These people
should be highlighted and their deed appreciated.
I was unable to get their whereabout at the time. May this deed be an
example to others to help others more.
SPL, Galle
I regret of the pathetic position the armed forces pensioners are
placed in. They were made to understand that the Cabinet approval was
granted to increase the basic pension by 20 percent and the circular has
been issued by the Pension Department to arrange payments with effect
from January 1, 2010.
All of a sudden, the National Budget Department overruled the Cabinet
approval and the Circular issued by the Pension Department. According to
the Circular No. BD/GPS/253/9/1 of July 5, 2010, the officers and other
rankers who have completed 22 years are not entitled for the increment.
Their recommendation is to increase the pension of war heroes who were
on duty on the victory day of the war (May 19, 2009).
Meaningless and baseless mockery decision of the NBD has not
authorised by the Cabinet. Therefore it should be the prime duty of the
Defence Secretary to advise the authorities to make arrangements as
approved by the Cabinet on December 24, 2009.
Mahinda Nihal Perera
Moratuwa
A few days ago the Wellawatte Police proudly announced that, on a
single day they had arrested and later released 80 members of the public
who attempted to cross the Galle road at places other than at Pedestrian
crossings. The next day the CMC with Police assistance ensured that the
steel barricade put up on the centre island was in place without a break
except at the Pedestrian crossings.
They went to the extent of even putting steel barriers over the
flower troughs too to ensure no one had any room to jump over.But to
everyones surprise within hours a large portion of the steel fence about
10 feet long was neatly cut-off and taken away to make it possible for
people to either make their way without hinderance to a Bakery or to a
Textile shop (both run by so called influential persons).
The residents are anxious to know who ordered the removal of the
steel fence at this point as now it makes it a very dangerous place to
cross the road as people have to go between halted buses that are at a
bus halt right opposite the open space.
Tilak Fernando
Wellawatte
With the huge strides taking place in the development of the country,
the dearth of engineers is badly felt both in the Government and private
sector.
The output of engineers from the Engineering Faculties has seen only
a very low percent increase in keeping with the high demand.
It is time the UGC increases the intake of the number of students to
the Engineering Faculties.
This should be the highest priority of the UGC, starting with the new
batch that is to be taken this year.
Nevis Fernando
Nattandiya
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