Minister asks to care for aging parents

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena stressed the need to look after aging parents.

He was addressing a meeting after handing over appointment letters to over 380 Family Heath Service Officials at the Maharagama National Youth Service Council Auditorium recently.

The minister said “some persons who achieve success in their life tend to forget their aging parents. Husbands forget their wives and wives forget their husbands when they reach the zenith of success. But parents who fed their children carefully should never be forgotten at any cost”, he said.

Minister Sirisena said people act as if they were machines. They never see or appreciate aesthetic beauty of trees, animals, streams and rivers. They board themselves in a room and spend life without even talking to anyone. Though they have acquired technical knowledge, they would contemplate at the last phase of the life whether they lived or not, he said. “Some officials have no public relations.

“They don’t have proper understanding of the public service. Any profession deserves to have strong public relations. Public health service officials are the social category that maintains a strong and close public relations” the minister said.

“The people who fails in building public relations find it difficult to deal with the public. Anybody can work with books and machines but the most difficult task is to work with the people. Politicians also need to maintain public relations. The result of the lack of public relations will be shown by ballot boxes”, minister Sirisena said.

Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka, Heath Service Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala and Additional Secretary K.A.S. Keeragalka were also present.