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Monday, 25  February 2013

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Scribbled prescriptions

Illegible prescriptions written carelessly and hurriedly, are becoming the occupational hazard of pharmacists who consistently demand readable handwriting on prescriptions for correct dispensing of drugs and to avoid prosecution for wrong dispensing. In day to day dispensing, there are frequent instances where pharmacists and dispensers are constrained to contact prescribers to plead with them to decipher and unravel their mysterious prescription language. Some cannot remember what they wrote and order the patient to visit them again to prescribe clearly.

One of the indispensable rights of patients is the right to be given a readable prescription for their paid consultation. Many parents complain that prescriptions for infants and children are so badly scrawled in writing that cautious pharmacists avoid dispensing them with the advice to parents to go back to the prescriber for clarification, whenever the prescriber cannot be contacted by phone.

Computer typed prescriptions are few. The usual, universal Latin terms, abbreviations used on prescriptions to indicate directions and doses for use, are gradually fading to be replaced by terms preferred by individual prescribers. Clarity in writing these terms is desirable, to get rid of doubt and confusion.

Caditone, Cardiotone and Cardioten are three different brand-name drugs, containing three different generics for three different uses, which have to be prescribed spelt correctly and written clearly to be dispensed precisely.

Medical or surgical negligence or misadventures are in the news currently and are being prosecuted. Pharmacists are apprehensive of becoming the possible victims of prosecution in the hazardous dispensing of unintelligibly written prescription, for which prescribers are accountable.


Jamiyathul Ulema and the Halal certificate

There is a big controversy in the country over the issue of the Halal Certificate by the Jamiyathul Ulema. The Halal Certificate is a certificate confirming the purity of the product for the use of the followers of the Islamic religion. It should be issued by a competent authority which has all the apparatus necessary to examine the product at the level of production or manufacture. This authority should examine all the ingredients that are used in the manufacture of the product. After such examination if the authority is satisfied it can issue the Halal Certificate. The certificate should be issued free of charge but if the authority has incurred any expenditure with regard to research, it can recover those expenses. Verse 41 of Sura Al Bakara of the Holy Quran states “Do not sell my revelations for a paltry price and guard yourselves from me.”

Is the Jamiyathul Ulema competent to issue this certificate? My answer is No. They do not have a mechanism to issue such a certificate. They do not have competent personnel such as food inspectors, analysts, processors and Veterinary Surgeons and a laboratory with Technicians. Employing a piece rate Veterinary Surgeon will not suffice. The food ingredients should be brought to the lab and tested. It should be a government sponsored authority like the Sri Lanka Standards Authority.

On February 17, the Bodu Bala Sena and representatives of the Jamiyathul Ulema were engaged in a TV programme discussion. The big guns of the Jamiyathul Ulema kept away and sent a Moulavi, a lawyer and a media person for the programme. These three fared very poorly in the face of pure facts by the Bodu Bala Sena. They failed to give a satisfactory answer to three important questions posed by Bodu Bala Sena.

(1) How can the Jamiyathul Ulema take money (or sell) for a Halal Certificate when Verse 41 of Sura Al Bakara of the Holy Quran prohibits to sell any verse ? (2) How can the Jamiyathul Ulema charge Rs. 4,000 for an application form? (3) How can the Jamiyathul Ulema charge a monthly fee ranging upto lakhs from Sinhala companies to issue Halal Certificates when the Holy Quran prohibits the sale of this certificate? These questions went unanswered because there was no answer to give. It is an insult to the Muslims.

The Jamiyathul Ulema has compiled a register of companies that have not taken the Halal Certificate from them. In other words what they say is “Do not patronize these companies”. The Bodu Bala Sena also raised the question with regard to the Golden Key Finance Company. That question also went unanswered. The facts are that the Golden Key Company, a finance company, was paying its depositors compound interest. Interest is Haram in Islam. The Jamiyathul Ulema issued a bogus Halal Certificate on a full page of a newspaper stating that this Company is Halal and all Muslims can deposit their monies. Muslims of Kandy, Akurana, Matale, Kalmunai, Beruwela who deposited over one billion rupees lost every cent within three months.

From the above it is quite clear that the Jamiyathul Ulema is not a competent, lawful and religious authority to issue the Halal Certificate. This function has to be taken over by the Sri Lanka Standards Authority.

A lot of animosity arose as a result of the un-Islamic act of the Jamiyathul Ulema taking huge sums of monies from Muslims as well as non Muslim organizations to issue the Halal Certificate which according to the Holy Quran has to be issued free of charge.

I appeal to the Jamiyathul Ulema to refund every cent of the money and save the Muslims from the wrath of the people. “The Fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves” - Julius Ceasar


Halal and Arms Dealers

President Mahinda Rajapaksa ended the nearly 30 year war which took many innocent lives and ruined Sri Lanka – once known as Paradise Isle and a beautiful, peaceful country. The war saw the country torn apart, bloodshed, suffering and also ruined its economy.

Now Sri Lanka is on the road to recovery, progress and development and all communities live in peace. Yet certain sectors are attempting to once again, ignite fires of hatred and set the country on fire. It is obvious that they are sponsored and financed by arms dealers who benefit and receive commissions, and interested parties. They all want another war to begin in Dhamma Deepa, the government to import arms and Sri Lanka to become the debacle of Asia.

Extensive irreparable damage has already been caused internationally and global investors and tourists will avoid Sri Lanka, shattering the President's vision of having 2.5 million tourists in the years to come. Tourists who require Halal foods will not step-in to this country if Halal food is not available. Instead they will travel to Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand where Halal food is available all over and no one objects. President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is the President for all communities should clamp down on racists and rabble rousers and jail them and allow all communities to live in peace in this Dhamma Deepa.

Former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew did not tolerate racism to raise its ugly head in his country and jailed trouble makers. Lee Kwan Yew is loved, respected and venerated by all Singaporeans. He ruled Singapore for many years. Singapore is now a developed beautiful country where Chinese, Tamils, Muslims and Christians all live in peace and harmony as one family, one nation.


Responsibility of Dhamma schools

Acts of violence and crime are reported almost daily in the media. This trend against humanity creates a stressful atmosphere for everyone and it is time the authorities stepped in to address this issue. The government needs to see all sides of the problem. On one hand, there should be tough punishments for criminal offences. On the other there is a need to update the education imparted by Dhamma schools towards a more effective assimilation of a Buddhist way of life. What is taught in Dhamma schools must have an important bearing on the life of pupils.

Dhamma schools have a responsibility to teach Buddhism to pupils and also to mould their personalities. Authorities must examine how teaching of Dhamma could be more effectively organised than at present and make best use of Dhamma education an an important influence in the formation of the child's character and temperament. Dhamma schools must help pupils face situations and problems they encounter during their everyday life in a practical way by adapting to new and sensible influences.


An efficient government service

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's decision to turn his personal attention to the public sector management is indeed a decisive step towards an efficient service under the government. The President's determination to see first-hand how each ministry functions, may have prompted him to conduct this assessment programme on a personal basis. A number of institutions functioning under the State have already come under scrutiny of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

The COPE report which was presented in Parliament recently had detailed scores of instances, where the relevant authorities had deliberately deviated from the established norms of discipline in public administration. The COPE report has revealed specific instances of colossal waste of public money by way of financial fraud, serious irregularities and various acts of deception committed by public sector officials.

What has been disclosed in the COPE report is surely a forceful reminder that corrupt management will necessarily retard the government's efforts to boost the much desired economic prosperity in Sri Lanka. The President's personal appraisal of the progress made by various ministries is popularly believed to cause a fundamental change in the governance of Sri Lanka.

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