Sri Lanka must recall retired doctors and nurses to work as the country’s health service is in danger of being overrun with the raging third wave of COVID-19, the main opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) said.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said the government must look into the possibility of obtaining the services of retired medical staff in the state health sector on a temporary basis.
“The government has to invest money into such things. Instead, they’re spending millions on building gyms and expressways,” he said.
The MP was referring to a Rs 54-billion section of the Ratnapura expressway and a cabinet approved proposal to open 500 outdoors gyms in Sri Lanka at a cost of Rs 625 million.
Police sniffer dog ‘Rusi’ led sleuths to 35 grams of ‘ice’ (crystal methamphetamine) hidden inside a flat at the Maligawatte Housing Scheme occupied by a suspect arrested earlier.
Maligawatte police arrested a 32-year-old man with 150 grams of ‘ice’ and on questioning him found that he was occupying a flat on rent at the housing scheme.
The services of ‘Rusi’ was sought from the Slave Island police as a search on the suspect’s flat was conducted. The canine helped the police to find another 35 grams of the narcotic drug and Rs. 100,000 in cash.
Police said the seized drugs have a street value of around rupees one million.
The NIA has taken over the probe into the seizure of AK-47 rifles and ammunition along with Rs 3,000 crore worth of heroin from a Sri Lankan vessel on March 25.
The agency has registered an FIR against six Sri Lankan nationals. NIA sources said the agency will be probing the recovery of rifles and ammunition while the seizure of heroin will be probed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB.
“After the seizure of 301kg of heroin from the boat, Ravihansi, NCB had started a probe. They later reported to the state police regarding the recovery of five AK-47 rifles and 1,000 9mm bullets from the boat. Based on this, Kerala Police filed an FIR at Vizhinjam station on April 5. As the case has international ramifications and is of serious nature, NIA decided to take over the probe. An FIR has been submitted at the NIA court in Kochi,” a source said.
Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera said yesterday that there were over 1,000 children infected with COVID-19 and urged the government to consider vaccinating those above the age of 12.
Dr. Perera noted that during the first two waves of Covid-19 only a limited number of children were infected. However, now the number of infections among children were very high.
“If people want to protect their children, it’s not enough to keep them at home. We mustn’t take the virus home. Five children have already died due to the virus.”Taking preventive measure was much better than vaccinating children, the doctor said.
‘Such deaths are an affront to the Rule of Law’
The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) condemned the killing of Melon Mabula alias ‘Uru Juwa’ and Tharaka Perera Wijesekera alias ‘Kosgoda Tharaka’, who were taken into police custody.
The State and the Police should have a duty to ensure the safety and security of persons in their custody, irrespective of the character of such persons and the seriousness of the nature of the allegations against such person, the BASL said in a statement.
“These deaths have all the hallmarks of extra-judicial killings and we call upon the State to ensure the safety and security persons in their custody, it said.